


Free Fall

by Avathys



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, AlphaBen, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Blackmail, Dom/sub, Helping each other by helping themselves, Kink Negotiation, LawyerHux, Light BDSM, M/M, NoChillBen, Nontraditional ABO Dynamics, PTSD, Power Imbalance, SexVSDesignation, Stalking, Threats of NonCon, UnethicalHux, Unhealthy Relationships, Who is Ben Solo?, Will Add Tags Progressively, mental health, noMpreg, omegahux, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-14 12:12:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11782923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avathys/pseuds/Avathys
Summary: Armitage Hux, Managing Partner of Finalizer Law, was the best damned lawyer in New York City. Cunning, ruthless, and isolated, he runs his law firm like he leads his life, no apologies and without error.Unfortunately for him, Ben Solo is going to fuck with all of it.-Late update this week. Will not update this Sunday (Sept 3), will update on Monday or Tuesday. Apologies.





	1. Stalker

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, still really new to Ao3. This is a pretty neat little project I've been working on ever since I discovered the ABO dynamic. I'm officially trash now, I know... lol! ABO works a little differently in this story though. Alpha, Beta, and Omega is more of a social status thing, rather than a gender thing. Sex is how you reproduce, Designation is how you fit into the community dynamic, if that makes sense. Heat is used more to find a bondmate, than to actually make babies.

Free Fall

 

Chapter 1

 

Hux was paranoid.

If ever there were a truer statement, Hux had never heard it. He shifted ever so slightly in the back seat of his car, watching the busy New York morning rush shift around him. Thannison, his personal driver that he never cared to learn the first name of, tapped his thumb lightly on the steering wheel’s smooth leather as he watched for a break in traffic. 

The frown that glazed over Hux’s face was full of annoyance and then gone as quickly as it had appeared. 

Why couldn't he shake it? 

That dry itch that barely ghosted over skin, a seeping weight deep inside that gradually clawed up your throat from somewhere deep in the gut. Years of carefully crafted control, an iron determination rooted in fear, as well as just plain hatred kept him going. He refused to let his eyes dart around, to let his shoulders hunch ever so slightly like he was perpetually prepared to bolt. 

The car rolled gently to a stop outside an impressive, gleaming building with grey stone steps and marble columns. Thannison deftly exited the car, rounded the car’s front, and opened Hux’s door before going to the boot to retrieve his employer’s personal effects. 

No. Hux was stronger than this. His facade was absolutely impeccable. 

So after he had exited the car, he straightened himself, threw his shoulders back slightly and paralleled his jawline with the pavement, sending his nose ever so slightly into the air. It was a blatant alpha stance, even if Hux did not have the accompanying scent to back up his bolstering. 

With his suitcase in hand and not even an acknowledgment to Thannison’s existence, Hux made his way up the steps of his law firm. His attitude made the people crowding the street part around him slightly. 

Armitage Hux, Managing Partner of Finalizer Law, might be paranoid, but he was also someone you simply did not fuck with. 

 

-

 

The email before him all but begged for Hux to come to the rescue. 

However, the case was no good. Hux could sense a bad investment a mile away; it’s what made him such a good lawyer. The stolen money was not the sender’s problem, Hux could care less about that. The problem was that this blundering baboon had gotten caught with access keys and separate accounts that were not his. The sheer stupidity set off a slight headache. 

The gentle sound of clacking keys soothed his frayed nerves as he typed out his condoling reply that managed to be both professional and curt at the same time. 

Hux was a master of telling people to bugger off. Even in emails the right balance of polite and disinterested was an easy tone to acquire when you viewed the entire world with such aloof disgust. 

A brief mental debate about who or what his disgust was directed at raged silently within him. 

Was he disgusted at this poor tosser who had contacted him thinking that sweet talking one of the finest lawyers in New York could help him get away with extortion? Was it at that harebrained assistant of his, Mitaka, that had left three of Hux’s files on the copier and had to run to fetch them as Hux tapped his foot in blind rage? Maybe it was just at that damned fly that had somehow found its way into Hux’s corner office and kept buzzing lightly around the rubbish bin. 

He stilled slightly and let himself take in a large breath of air through his nose. 

This action allowed Hux to do two things. One, it forced him to slow down ever so slightly to ground himself. Multimillion dollar law firms were an all consuming affair and those brief moments where his lungs were full brought the slender man down from his never ending bullet train of a career. Two, it confirmed to Hux that, No, you could not smell it…

The only scents that permeated through the air were the food wrapper in the bin, the dusty fine leather of his shoes, and the neutral scent of a beta male. 

He was fine. 

Everything was fine. 

His nose wrinkled slightly at the feelings that welled up inside his chest. 

A loud and commanding knock sounded at his door, making Hux jolt ever so slightly in his chair. Instinct kicked in and Hux set his face into it’s usual casual sneer. Whatever might be going on inside, and there were a lot of feelings slingshotting their way around Hux’s insides, his exterior should always be under control. 

“Enter.” He clipped, pushing himself back into a casual lean, one arm slung over the chair’s armrest. 

His eyes caught the gleam of silver before he recognized the face. Wherever Phasma went, you could always find her by simply looking for the tall woman’s favorite color. When Phasma wore her suits, it was always with a silver waist coat or a chrome tie. She enjoyed wearing shimmery gray shirts with her pressed black slacks or pencil skirts. That one time he had gone to a high end event with her (It had been awful, by the way) she had worn a full length gown of shiny silver sequins. She was so proud of that blasted thing too, Hux did not have the heart to tell her she looked like a disco ball with eyes. 

She was his partner after all. 

Make no mistake, Finalizer Law was _his_. He owned the prestigious law firm, ran it, and had final say in all decisions. Phasma was his right hand, and an intimidatingly good lawyer. Maybe not as good as him, but close. Hux would have been stupid not to sign her on permanently and make her his attack dog. 

“Armitage.” She flung briskly in greeting, knowing exactly how to heckle him. 

“Erin.” He hissed back, letting his mouth fall into a lazy grin. 

_You will not tense up. DO NOT tense up,_ He grated as she neared him. The first wave of alpha scent hit him like whiplash right to the face. He sniffed quietly, wiggling his nose to make the feeling subside. He failed. If only she knew how much her very nature grated on him. 

Hux, of course, would never give her the satisfaction of knowing anything. 

“Sir, I need to go over the San Tekka files with you before our meeting this afternoon. I think the old codger might settle if we play this right.” Phasma was all business as she rattled everything off, not even needing a tablet or notepad to keep it all straight, “Also, we need to prepare for our meeting with President Snoke tomorrow; I handed Mitaka the schedule and told him to input everything before lunch today. Hopefully, he can manage not to lose it this time.” 

Bullocks. 

How had Phasma managed to fit so many headaches into one bloody rant?

As if his vicious partner and her cloying scent were not enough, she had to put Hux’s most boring client _ever_ front and center. San Tekka was a snooze-fest, sure, but he was a safe case with a clear payout. Then to jump from that leathery old git to Finalizer Law’s most prominent client, First Order Industries; she had done that on purpose. The global corporation was a beacon of innovation, engineering the latest in everything from military grade weapons to smart phones. It had tripled its profits in the last year alone, slowly swallowing up everything in its warpath under the merciless lead of its CEO and Chairman, President Snoke. Thankfully Hux had secured a sizable retainer contract with them years ago before they had become an international superstar. Basically whenever Snoke and his corporate behemoth got into trouble, Hux came running to the defense with the law brandished like an erect penis. Then to top the whole thing off with a snide remark about his stupid, _stupid_ secretary. 

Hux should fire Mitaka, that damned ingrate. 

As Hux leaned forward to take the files and schedules from Phasma he was careful to not make skin contact, to not get too close. It had been years since he had touched another human being. 

No one could know. 

No one. 

As that feeling of disgust settled once more in the pit of his stomach, he itched behind his ear in the most discreet way he could manage. 

He didn’t hate his clients, even the dumb and boring ones. He didn’t hate Mitaka, as much as he probably should. He did not even hate that fly and the stinking wrapper in his bin. 

Hux hated himself, simple as that. 

 

- 

 

There was just something about the burn of pushing fatigued muscles into submission that made Hux happy. He brought the bar down again against his chest, form perfect and speed controlled, before sending the balancing weights back up. His biceps burned and his chest heaved. The weights were impressive for someone of his slender stature, enough to catch anyone’s eye. No one would see though because Hux was trapped in the ‘privacy’ of his own home gym tucked into the back bedroom of his luxury flat. He could not risk working out in a normal gym, all that exposed skin and sweat. 

It would give him away immediately. 

Even in his own home, Hux wore calf-length jogging pants and a loose fitting shirt that cut off at the elbow. 

Because Hux was paranoid. 

You never knew who your neighbors were or where the vents led to. 

After he had finished his allotted reps, he moved on with military efficiency to the next physical task. With his own law firm, and a very successful one at that, he did not have much spare time outside of being an attorney. Then add the suffocating limitations placed on him due to his….. condition, the only thing he could do was stay in his flat. Hux had never been one to do nothing, so why not force his body into peak physical condition. He had the money to buy a flat with a large room meant for a gym, why not use the hell out of it. 

Once he was done, he took a cold shower. 

He had to get the sweat off. 

Then he passed out nude in his bed. 

 

-

 

Hux could have been a soldier. 

And a bloody fantastic one too. 

When his alarm went off at 4am, he hit it without complaint and rolled out of bed. He threw on some sweatpants, a long sleeved underarmor shirt, and trainers for running. In the top drawer of his dresser sat a wide array of antiperspirants. He picked out the one meant for working out and heavy sweating. 

There was no joy to be had in the cloud of beta smell as he doused himself liberally, but at least his own shortcomings were erased. He grabbed the sweat band from the drawer as well, coating it in the same artificial scent before slipping it around his hairline smartly. 

Hux could have been a soldier; he had even tried to join the military once back in his home country. This was before he had immigrated to America, before he became the successful powerhouse he was today. Back then Hux had seen no other way out. 

Unfortunately, the RAF recruiter only got four questions in before designation came up, right after Hux’s birthdate and sex. Hux had tensed and fell silent. Noticing this, the female recruiter went stiff for a second, but then softened. There was no mistaking the sudden flood of alpha pheromones that wafted throughout the room. 

“I apologize, but the military does not allow-“ 

“It’s fine.” Hux cut her off before she could continue and stood abruptly to leave. No need to say it out loud. He should have expected this; he should have known. 

What he had not expected was for the recruiter, in her pressed uniform and shiny shoes, to stand up as well and reach out slightly to stop him. 

“If you, um….. need someone, t-to take care of you…” She whispered nervously, barely able to control the excitement churning underneath, “I could….” 

Hux did not miss the way the older woman’s eyes sparkled.

He had been two weeks away from his 19th birthday.

The door had almost broke from how hard Hux had slammed it on his way out. 

Thinking back on that incident still made him angry to this day so he made a special effort to not slam the front door of his flat on the way out. At least, not too hard. 

 

-

 

Hux loved to run, but he could only do it when the least amount of people were crowding up the streets. The Big Apple never slept, but there were times when it was easy to stay away from others and 4 am was one of them. He had to be quick though and not take any breaks. Of course, stopping was completely out of the question.

Sometimes you heard stories. 

Stories of how Omegas would just disappear. Like traces of smoke, dissipating into the nothingness. Hux thought it was stupid. 

Obviously, these people went _somewhere_. People just did not like to think about how those that had disappeared were now essentially slaves. How their lives were no longer their own. 

Betas made up approximately three quarters of the population. The neutral designation had once been an evolutionary anomaly, a mutant freak, but they were now the majority of society. It was due to the fact that humankind did not need alpha/omega breeding pairs anymore. Back when cavemen fought mammoths or when the Black Death plagued the world, sure. For the continuity of the species, bonded mates were a social necessity. However, over the past two to three hundred years, betas had taken over. 

Alphas and Omegas were seen as an ancient barbarism of the past. 

Still, alphas made up a little more than fifteen percent of the population. Omegas were officially marked down as being between two to three percent of the population, Hux had looked. Any idiot could do the math and see that seventy-five percent plus fifteen to sixteen percent for alphas plus even three percent for omegas did not equal the full one hundred. 

For every recorded omega, there were likely two more that wouldn’t dare show their face. Who could not even breathe a word of who they were. 

The stories on the news were of tragic people and always left open ended. Sometimes they would pop up later, unharmed, but with a half healed bite mark and a sudden unexplainable affection for someone they had never met before sliding into heat. 

The stories in online forums carried a different tune though. Omega chat boards filled with tips on how to hide through a heat and avoid detection. Popular topics were how to fake an interview to the best ways to do the laundry discreetly. Alphas loved to crash the boards with knotted dick pics and threats of finding them in their homes. 

An alpha once went viral on social media by telling the story of how he stalked a person he knew to be an omega. He had followed her for months, taking pictures without her knowing, until she slipped into heat. Thankfully he had not taken pictures of…. the incident….  Though there were some pictures and videos in the dark places of the internet of omegas being bonded. 

His Facebook was now full of pictures of the two of them together, smiling and happy. They were expecting a child soon. 

It had not been rape, the authorities said, and she refused to press charges. 

Every time Hux thought of it, he wanted to hurl. 

It was so disgusting it hurt. 

He refused to be just another story on the six o’clock news, crammed between the latest failed American foreign policy and the “ _Weather Forecast with Jyn Erso_!”

That’s why he was up at this ungodly hour instead of a more decent one, forcing his breaths evenly through open lips in time with a brutal jogging pace. It was the one self indulgent thing he allowed himself, the only risk he was willing to take.

As he maneuvered his way around a group of drunk beta girls out way too late to have any sort of respectable job, he caught sight of another jogger running parallel to his own path across the street. They were going about the same pace. Swift, but not a full sprint. 

Hux was certain that the other jogger had not seen him, so he tagged back a little bit to watch the lithe form move along the pavement of the other side of the road. Giant loping strides, gangly arms, broad shoulders. 

Unabashedly male. 

He was wearing a tight sleeveless white shirt drenched in sweat that showed off…. everything, loose gym shorts and those obnoxious five-toed athletic shoes made for idiots. His dark hair was pulled into a loose bun high on the back of his head, runaway strands flying out everywhere. 

It was not enough that Hux had to be a freak designation, but he also seemed to have shot himself in the foot by having very select inclinations. Alphas and omegas were meant to be able to mate, to have children. Male and female, together, two halves to produce a whole…. 

Maybe he wasn't being ‘politically correct,’ but why in the bloody hell would someone like him have same sex preferences?

Hux gave a frustrated grunt. 

As if sensing that someone was there, Mr. Sexy Idiot turned to peak over a shoulder. At first he saw no one because he was looking at his own side of the street, checking to make sure that no one was coming up behind him. Hux quickly looked away, feigning a glance down at his watch. 

4:36am. 

When he looked back up to see where he was going, the other jogger was facing forwards again. Hux steadied his breath, forced his stomach out of his throat and picked up the pace. He needed to get home quick. Work hours for him didn’t start till eight, but the city would soon become a huge mess due to morning rush hour. 

Apparently that was Hux’s big mistake, because as he picked up the pace, the other jogger looked over at him. Hux’s presence did not seem to surprise the other man, so he assumed this mystery running partner had in fact found him out the first time he’d glanced backwards to see who was watching him. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Hux caught sight of a grin. 

The other jogger sped up, matching Hux, step for step. They easily fell into into line with each other. 

Normally Hux fled such situations. Over a negotiating table when millions of dollars were at stake, he’d bite anything that came near him. But random encounters with strangers on the street? That was an air raid siren wailing “get the hell out.” 

Hux thought he was hot though. 

Damn his escaping libido, clawing forth when least appreciated. 

He kept a steady pace, allowing the man to run with him, only because Mr. Sweaty Pecs was held at a carefully controlled distance by the asphalt road between them. 

They came to a stop at a red light at the same time. Hux tried paying attention to the cross traffic, as if it were some sort of magical thing that interested him. Hux kept his pace as he jogged in place. 

Breath steady. 

Left, right, left, right. 

Shake out your arms. 

Roll the left shoulder. 

Left, right, left, right. 

He snuck a glance over to where he knew the other jogger was standin-

FUCK!

Man Bun was staring straight at him, not even being discreet, not trying to play it cool. Openly staring. He did not even spare a glance at a woman who passed in front of him and gave him a very appreciative look. 

Hux feigned ignorance, thankful when the light changed. 

The pace they set as they crossed the street together was again brisk and Hux quickly lost himself in the burn. He could faintly hear the footfalls of the other jogger as he matched the pace. 

Hux’s grin was sinister. 

Fine. 

He wanted a running partner, Hux would give him one. He let his legs lengthen out to full stride and went into the fastest pace he knew he could hold for long distances. His lungs burned as they heaved in and out, but Hux kept himself calm and collected. He was finally beginning to really sweat and a little voice of unease started speaking again in the back of his head. 

As they came to the next light, Hux was both disappointed and slightly pleased that his new partner had kept up. The other man barely looked winded. Hux waited for the light as he jogged in place. 

He checked his watch again instead of meeting the other jogger’s gaze.

Hux hated roller coasters, especially the ones that flipped upside down or dropped people from great heights. It wasn’t the clunky metal, the rush of adrenaline, or even the other people that turned him off to amusement rides. No, it was that feeling created by free falling deep in the back of the chest when you were weightless. Like his heart or lungs had been ripped out of him. 

Hux never knew what to do with that feeling. 

The suddenness of it. 

The helplessness of it. 

So when the light changed and Hux finally met the other man’s eyes, there was no warning as a breeze carried Mr Challenge Accepted’s scent across towards him. All that glistening skin and sweat, Hux for the first time was surprised he had not been able to smell the other runner beforehand. 

It took a second to register as he jogged out into the crosswalk.

Free fall took him as the unmistakable scent of unbonded male alpha filled his nostrils. 

All those warnings bells that he had silenced about strangers on the street, about getting so sweaty that it pushed through his protective antiperspirant layer, started screaming again to the point where Hux could not hear anything else. That scent went straight to Hux’s core and he wanted nothing more than to go over and lick that exposed glossy collar bone.  

Hux almost face planted right there in the middle of the road. 

Luckily he was an agile person with quick reflexes so he managed to catch himself and pretend it was simply a stumble over something in the road.

That oppressive weight did not leave though, it hung over his shoulders like a yoke with an elephant balanced on each end. The fear he lived with every moment of every day snapped at his heels as he picked his steps carefully across the street. 

Then an unimaginable rage took hold of him, so much anger boiled within that any arousal he had felt bled from him like poison. 

Without any forethought, he turned away from the intersection to follow the cross traffic road he had just stumbled across. It was significantly safer than continuing his dangerous trek alongside the new alpha with the steamy chest of a Greek god. The alpha runner was trapped by the traffic so he could not cross the street to follow. 

Good. 

Hux took off at full speed and did not stop until he had dead bolted the front door of his flat behind him.

 

-

 

The shower water was freezing, but that didn't make a difference. 

That pooling sensation in Hux’s lower belly was building. 

Within the confines of his own home, Hux’s anger and fear had subsided just enough that memory of the dark alpha had caused Hux’s cock to rise up to full salute like the traitor it was. Hux had hoped that a cold shower would kill any hope the fat cheeky monster had of getting any attention. 

It was not working. 

He sighed and took himself in hand, making the sigh turn into a heady moan. The sensation of his warm hand against the cold shower was blissful and painful at the same time. It wasn't enough though. Hux giving a frustrated whine before he could stop it. Hux never whined, never. It was a clear give away of everything he hated about himself. 

Oh fuck it. 

Slowly, he stepped towards the little built-in tile seat on the far end of the shower. His foot felt like it was full of lead as he brought it up to rest on the seat’s slick surface. With his leg now hiked up and bent at the knee, he reached down, grazing his balls slightly before reaching the prize behind it. 

The deliciously painful feeling of being stretched made him hiss as he plunged his first finger deep inside. He shivered and worked his finger in and out, crooking it slightly in that way he knew sent shivers up his spine. Hux refused to think about how this whole thing would play out with a partner, if it would be better or worse knowing what was about to happen. Would he enjoy not being the one in control? His other hand came up to rest high on the tile wall behind the seat and steady his shaking frame. He was freezing, but the fire deep inside made him pant. 

When the second finger was added, he groaned headily and the widely splayed hand on the wall keeping him grounded clenched sideways into fist. Hux swayed forward, his forehead bumping the fist slightly, his eyes tightly closed in lost pleasure. Between the scissoring and plunging deep inside, Hux was rapidly overcome with sensation, his fingers finding his prostate and stroking it madly. 

How big had that alpha runner’s hands been? Hux couldn’t remember, but he had been tall, his hands were probably huge. 

A high pitched whine sounded again from behind clenched teeth, needy and wrecked. 

His dick and balls strained, red and angry, heavy between his legs. 

Once again Hux tried to jerk himself off. Using the free hand he did not have currently shoved up his arse, Hux leaned his forehead heavily against the freezing tile. He was panting wildly, unable to control the rapid breathing pattern masturbation forced him into. His hand only had to make three full tugs, root to tip, before Hux spilled everywhere. A gangly alpha who liked showing off filled his mind as the pleasure spiked deep in his belly. 

He looked down at the mess, his breathing still very much out of control. 

The dismayed curling of his lip was unavoidable.

 

-

 

Hux carefully kept his interest in check as he watched the television in front of him. He always watched the news over his morning meal. Today’s breakfast was a simple piece of toast, half a grapefruit, and small bowl of plain yogurt. He sipped at the small cappuccino his expensive gourmet coffee maker had made for him. Tea would always hold a special place in Hux’s heart but he quietly relished the warm froth on top of most coffee beverages. 

Anything to take his mind off the running alpha, and Hux’s subsequent adventure in shower.

Even in his own home, Hux kept his face decidedly bland as he watched the latest segment on a movement that had been gaining steam steadily down in Washington D.C. Some female omega with a death wish named Leia Organa was leading a movement to help marginalized groups gain both legal rights and social acceptance by basically creating hell on Capitol Hill. The news anchor was interviewing some pompous omega member of the ludicrous organization, who _also_ had a death wish just to be clear, about his fearless leader’s clear and concise plan to accomplish everything from gender equality to fair treatment of immigrants, to omega rights. 

Right now they were focusing on omega rights.

“Mr. Dameron,” The news anchor chided softly, “This is all very interesting, but how do you think Leia Organa and your organization can accomplish such a monumental task? Other’s have tried for years, and yes, so far she has come the farthest, but what makes you think that this kind of exposure and fervor for your cause will continue?” 

“Well that’s the beauty of it, ma’am,” the activist, Poe Dameron, flashed a haughty smile, “She _has_ succeeded where others have failed. My organization, The People’s Resistance, is all about overcoming the failures of the past to make a future that we all can be safe in. Right now only one in three omega’s even publicly recognizes his or her designation, and normally only then because they are bonded to an alpha. One in three! That’s millions of Americans that live in fear, and if we expand that to a global level the numbers are truly tragic. Even in a place like America, omegas go unprotected, can you imagine what life is like for an omega trapped in a third world country?”

“We’re talking about the entire world now?” The news anchor laughed slightly, flipping her short red hair and giving him a wide smile. 

“Well why not? We won’t stop until this is finished. _You yourself_ once championed for social justices such as democratic election and against party corruption, why not again? The Resistance will not be intimidated by the sheer scale of the task in front of us, we rise up to meet it.” Poe sure was a charmer, Hux gave him that. 

“You know, some people say that you are a very brave individual for even showing your own face. As you said, most public omegas are bonded, including Mrs. Organa. You however,  are not?” 

Poe Dameron was clearly not bonded. Hux could easily see that his shirt has been chosen specifically because of the low riding collar that showcased a clean unmarked neck. Hux knew for a fact he would be scared shitless if he were in that idiot’s shoes. 

“Why?” Poe dropped his voice a little lower, quirking one eyebrow in obvious sexual innuendo, “Are you asking little omega me out on a date?” 

The news anchor let out a full on laugh now, her face red. Hux could see that her pupils were blown wide. Hux even had to pause slightly as some yogurt dripped from his raised spoon that had been forgotten halfway on it’s journey between bowl to mouth. 

Hux had once read an article saying that Poe Dameron welcomed the sexual attention. That deep down he _wanted_ to be knocked onto his back and forced to bond. This was right after the omega had been attacked in his own house following one of his other highly publicized interviews. Even though Leia was the leader of this ill conceived circle jerk of an organization, she was bonded and…. well, _older_. Poe was young, and dashing. Alphas journalists said that the very rare omegas like Poe only did what did because they wanted to be harassed. 

“Well, aren’t you _daring_?” The anchor was barely keeping it together, obviously smitten with the dark haired flyboy. 

“The most daring of all.” Poe growled slightly, “We are creating a future were an unbonded omega can flirt on national television without fear. _We,_ Ms. Mothma, are piloting the future.” 

“Well thank you very much, Mr. Dameron. It’s truly been a pleasure,” Poe’s screen disappeared off half the television, “Now, as you may have heard, the Chicago Cubs lost, nine to four, to the Washington Nationals last night, more on sports coming up.”

With nothing left to distract him, Hux’s mind wandered. His eyes landed on a bit of yogurt that had fallen onto his granite countertop. A creamy white strip that streaked thinly for a few inches from his bowl. 

He pushed it away. 

He wasn’t hungry anymore. 

 

-

 

Soon. 

There was no way to predict exactly when it would happen, but any week now the signs would start to pop up slowly, gradually building to the worst possible crescendo biology could devise. 

Hux’s libido was already coming back with a vengeance. 

His nose was also becoming more sensitive. When an alpha had passed him in the hall earlier, Hux almost gagged. The offices were full of people bustling about so no one noticed him. Clerks, paralegals, assistants, and law students went about their business as if the world was not slowly condensing into a single pinprick of white hot pain between the eyes. 

Hux hated them.

They were all mindless clones to Hux, trapped within their business casual armor. 

He should look at his calendar and make sure to keep the next few weeks vague in case he needed to _work from home_. The best part of being in charge was the flexibility to do his work on his own time, when and where he pleased. 

Granted, there were better things to do than lock yourself in a reinforced panic room outfitted with high speed internet and a mini fridge. 

Hux was so caught up in his hatred that as he rounded a corner, leaving the riff-raff behind to retreat to the confines of his own ridiculously huge office, that he could not avoid colliding with the solid mass before him. Large hands clenched around a truly dizzying amount of papers as the other person tried to not drop them.

The panic that shot up Hux’s spine made him go bone rigid as he looked to see who he had run into. 

It was one of the new legal assistants. Hux remembered him from the small group introduction party the office threw in order to welcome the firm’s three newest members. This one was average height, dark skinned, with a friendly and open face. Instantly likable. Hux danced backwards out of reach. 

“Are you o-?” The man started to ask, but immediately stopped. His eyes went impossibly big when he finally realized who had come around the corner. 

“Mr. Hux, sir, I-I- um…” 

Hux held up one hand to silence the man, who looked impossibly like a deer that had been caught in the middle of a motorway. 

“Who are you?” Hux kept the need to talk to others at a minimum. 

“Um, Finn…. sir,” The black man’s eyes fell. 

“Well, Finn, would you kindly _not_ stand in the hallway with my files. If any of them where to get ruined, you will find the resulting consequences quite unpleasant.” 

Wide shoulders hunched, Finn’s young face looked ashen. “I’m sorry, they’re just very heavy and- I mean, yes sir. Sorry, sir.” 

Hux paused. 

“Do you require assistance with them?” He arched one of his eyebrow. His voice was flat, but the underlying malice was clean and crisp. 

“No! No sir, I got it, thank you.” As if to emphasize that he could handle it, Finn heaved the files higher up his chest, repositioning his hands to get a better grip. “I think I’m getting the hang of this….”

“Well aren’t you just a _trooper._ ” Hux sneered. Turning slightly, he floated past the legal assistant and his cursed files and started out once again towards his office. Phasma was already waiting for him at the door. 

“Ready?” She asked, nodding her head down the hall towards the lift. 

“Let me grab by blazer.” He replied snappishly, opening the door to his office and pulling his jacket from its hook. He took the time to do every button and smooth out the lapels before escorting his partner to the elevator. 

President Snoke had the eyes of a hawk and the smile of a shark. 

Hux would show him no weakness. 

A line of black SUVs was already pulling in front of the firm when Hux and Phasma made it to the ground floor. There was no mistaking the First Order Industries logo on the side of all three vehicles. Several security personnel stepped from each car, dressed in unassuming slacks and button downs; two or three wore suits. Everything was black, white, or red. 

Hux almost snorted at the absurdity of it all. 

Snoke exited his own car last, slow and with gravitas. His knobby head was almost completely bald now and the knotted scars on the side of his face and neck where distinctive, even from a distance. Pale cavernous eyes meet Hux’s when the man had made it halfway up the steps. Hux forced a smile, and bowed his head slightly. He knew better than to try to shake the President’s hand. Someone who hated physical contact just as much as Hux did should have been a comfort, but there was nothing but a dark uneasiness between the two men. 

“President Snoke, it’s been a while, so glad you could drop by,” Hux tried to make his tone as friendly as possible. Mostly it just came out as over eager. He had never been good at appearing open. 

“Yes, good to see you too, Armitage.” Snoke drawled out. “Erin.” He barely glanced at Phasma. 

Snoke started forward without invitation, as he always did with Hux, passing the younger man and going straight for the front doors. Grinding his teeth, Hux fell in step next to him. 

They were followed by Phasma and then a small detail of Snoke’s security. Hux glanced over a shoulder to look at them. Seven of them. All different shapes, men and women, but each one seemed to have keen eyes and a dangerous aura. Hux scented at least three or four alphas, not including Phasma and Snoke himself. He could barely pick through all the cacophony going on in his nostrils. 

Hux refused to think on it too much as they entered the lobby and made for the elevator. Snoke refused to conduct anything publicly, so most conversation would not start until they were all seated quietly within Hux’s private conference room that connected to his office. 

As all ten of them filed into the lift, Hux made sure to claim his rightful spot at Snoke’s side and closest to the entrance. He glanced down at his shoes. 

Elevators, well _any_ confined space to be honest, made him jumpy.

They were well on their way skywards before Hux took the time to look back up and he was met by huge, brown eyes. Located on Snoke’s opposite side, dressed all in black, was the running Wet T-shirt God himself. His chin length hair was no longer in a bun, just curling everywhere in black waves. He was mostly covered by his dark clothing, what little skin that was showing no longer heated and soaked. Pale, tall, and imposing, he stared straight at Hux like a predator. 

Hux felt his stomach clench. His dick twitched slightly.

_Oh bloody hell…_

 

_-_

 


	2. Trainers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who commented, subscribed, and/or gave me kudos. It really made me so pumped to continue writing. 
> 
> Quick note: mention of previous suicidal thoughts in this chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 2

 

At first, Hux pretended like the the tall alpha didn't exist. His gaze became concretely fixed on the dark seam between the two sides of the elevator entrance. That narrow gap would soon open to his salvation, away from Phasma, away from Snoke, away from Mr No Chill Whatsoever. 

_Does he recognize me from this morning? Does he …. know?_

Hux focused on that mechanical divot until he realized turning his head to look at it made his neck arch slightly towards both Snoke and the mysterious alpha guard. 

He quickly snapped his face straight, tucking his chin slightly, eyes flitting over to see that indeed the alpha had been enjoying every soft inch of skin Hux showed him. The cursed arsehole didn’t even looked ashamed when Hux caught him staring, just flashed his canines in an entitled smile. Hux had similarly oversized canines, no where near the size of an alphas, but definitely more pronounced than normal. It was why Hux never smiled. 

The alpha watched Hux without a care in the world. 

Confident. 

 _Still doesn’t mean he knows what you are!_ Hux repeated to himself over and over again. 

There was simply no way for Snoke’s glorified babysitter to know anything about Hux’s most haunting closet skeleton.  An entire street had separated them for their first encounter and during said encounter’s end, Hux had been upwind. It was impossible the alpha could have caught his scent. Even if he had, the only thing he would have been able to pick up was beta. If the alpha _did not_ know, Hux would give him nothing, if he _did_ know, Hux would deny it to the grave.

The important thing was to not give anything away. This was easy. Hux had dealt with many alphas before, weak ones that made Hux roll his eyes and powerful alphas like Snoke that commanded attention by simply entering a room. He had even acquired several neat skills over the years to resist alpha compulsion, a nasty little voice trick that only worked on omegas. Thankfully, many alphas rarely tried voice compulsion on betas because it was completely useless on them.  

_He doesn’t know._

No, this guy was just plain weird.

The elevators pinged slightly, announcing their impending exit, and Hux was met with a slight dilemma he stupidly should have foreseen.

Courtesy dictated that he let Snoke exit first. As Hux’s guest, it was just polite. However that would mean the barrier between him and the tall alpha would vanish and then said oaf would then be right behind him upon exiting. He could maybe take the lead and exit first, an alpha would do it without a second thought, but Snoke was a proud old man full of barely controlled aggression. 

Hux squared his shoulders slightly as the doors slid open and he held out his hand slightly, gesturing for Snoke to take the lead. Hux was ever the professional, weird alphas be damned. Snoke barely acknowledged the gesture as his glided forward. Hux made to follow him but suddenly he came face to face with his tormentor as the other stepped forward too. 

The growl was low and full of challenge.

As Snoke’s security, he was apparently not going to let anyone come between him and his employer. That or he was angry about being ignored. Hux dropped his gaze slightly as his personal bubble was invaded, trying to ignore the way his body flooded with both fear and arousal. The man was only a few inches taller than him, but almost twice as broad shouldered. There was just so much of him when compared to the slender lawyer. 

The dark haired man exited, followed by all six of his compatriots. Hux stood still, frozen in politely restrained fury as he was left behind. A glance at Phasma, who had also waited to let others exit first, told him that he was not the only one who found the whole situation strange. Her eyebrows were high on her forehead and her pale blue eyes fastened on his with a mixture of curiosity and anger. 

A shrug and a sigh were his only reply. 

 

_

 

A private loo. 

If Hux could change one thing about his corporate building, it would be that his office have its own personal toilet. It was slightly appalling the he had this huge corner office, tucked away behind multiple sets of glass doors, but nowhere to shit in peace. Hux always emptied his bladder before coming to work, and would wait till he returned home at the end of the day if there was only three hours or less of work left within the building.

Of course today, of all days, was one that he would have to suck it up and pee with the crowd. 

Snoke was still talking absently with Phasma, having concluded their official meeting twenty minutes ago, Hux excused himself. On his way out, he noticed that the dark haired guard that had growled at him was gone.  

Hux tried to quell the resentment that welled up tightly in his chest. 

The wait to see him was short lived though, for no sooner had Hux shoved his way past the men’s loo door was he met with searching brown eyes once again. 

The alpha looked up in the mirror from where he bent slightly over the sink, washing his hands. Hux’s steps faltered slightly, and he purposefully kept his face contorted into it’s usual slight scowl as to not show his own shock and uneasiness. A dazzling smile flashed in the lawyer’s direction as the bodyguard straitened his back slightly and turned to look over one muscled shoulder, causing Hux to wonder once again if this man recognized him from their run. The moment Snoke’s henchmen made to step away from the counter, reaching slightly for the automatic paper towel dispenser, Hux started moving again towards a stall. 

He had briefly considered the line of urinals, but a quick assessment told him that exposing his back to this animal was a dangerous game.

 _Is he even gay?_ The world could end before Hux asked the question out loud. 

Hux was thankful when the stall latch fell cleanly into place. He waited until he heard the slow, quiet steps of the other man leaving before doing his business. The time he spent within the stall and then at the sink, rolling up his sleeves slightly to furiously scrub between each finger, was exorbitant, but at that moment Hux needed as much space as possible between himself and the rest of the world. He took a moment to compose himself, forcing the soft lines created by that alphas dusty lips out of his head, before exiting. He was in the middle of rolling one sleeve back down to his wrist only to once again come face to face with First Order’s newest security personnel. 

The toilet door swung closed behind him, cutting him off. 

Without giving Hux a chance to ignore him, the alpha flipped some of that wavy hair out of one eye and held out a hand in greeting, “I’m Kylo. Nice to meet you, Mr. Hux. Or can I call you Armitage?” 

Hux stared down at the hand, up at the man standing in front of him, and then back at the hand. Apparently, _Kylo_ was done being ignored. He gave a slight tut, a very native way of expressing extreme dissatisfaction, before meeting Kylo’s gaze once more. 

Instead of answering, Hux’s attention remained fixed as he finished rolling down the second sleeve, carefully fastening the button around his wrist, and he then turned to start off again. 

“Kylo,” The name felt strange rolling from the lips, so he followed it with yet another tut from his cheeks. He knew that the other man, who had smoothly pulled his hand back to his side and fell into step beside him, would not understand the sound. So many intricacies that Americans simply did not catch. 

“Is that even your real name?” Hux was truly curious, so he let the question fall from his lips without too much disdain. Kylo seemed to brighten slightly at being acknowledged, the bounce in his step obvious. 

“No.” Kylo answered simply, as if it did not matter that he was using a pseudonym. The sharp glance he shot Hux’s way almost dared for the smaller man to ask him for his real name. Hux already knew that Kylo would refuse to tell him. At Hux’s silence, Kylo gave another flash of his canines between long strides. All arms and legs and silly arrogance.  

He really was just a gigantic, awkward man-child….

Still, there was a darkness hidden in those eyes, the way they carefully watched everything, as if assessing Hux’s very being with cutthroat efficiency. Hux bristled slightly. No, that was _his_ game and he would not be bettered by a Neanderthal with a large nose and no strategy. This fool had no idea what he was doing, he was just going around swinging his alpha status like a fiery hell-sword, cutting down anyone in his way. 

“So, you’re British.” Kylo said it like a statement, rather than a question. 

“Well spotted.” Hux quipped. At least he had said _British_ and not the more generic _English_. 

The rumbling chuckle from deep in Kylo’s chest made Hux’s hair stand on end, and not at all in a bad way. Well, it was very, _very_ bad, but at least Hux no longer felt the need to fling something. His strained shoulders dropped slightly, loosening, exposing more of his neck. 

_NO, no, no, NO! What are you doing? You do not bare your neck to anyone. Get with the program, Hux!_

Too late.

Kylo noticed immediately, eyes becoming dark with a primitive hunger. 

 _He is most definitely gay._ Hux thought bitterly _Lucky you! Huzzah…._

The tension between them was almost tangible. Being ever the alpha, Kylo cut through it to take charge of the conversation. Hux knew what he was going to say before he opened his sultry lips. 

“Would you like to-“ 

“No.” 

Kylo cocked his head slightly to one side. No hurt or anger showed on his expressive, freckled face, just an unbelieving curiosity at why he had been refused. 

“No.” That large mouth repeated the word back to Hux, as if it had not been the correct answer. 

Hux growled. It was an odd move for a beta to do, but sometimes when cornered or under extreme emotional strain, they would do it in defense. To Hux, the move was an exceptionally strange one, even more so when directed at an alpha, but he had long ago forced himself to learn the mannerism and how to use it. Hux ground the gravelly sound out, quiet and warning, even though his chin was still dropped low in submission. 

“You are new to your job. I understand sometimes the lines are not always easy to find, so take it from someone who has dominated the legal portion of the New York corporate ladder for the last five years,” Hux spat the next words like he were speaking to a naughty primary schooler, “Do not ask out your employer's lawyer.”

Now there was the scolded look Hux had been going for, Kylo’s eyes slanting and his mouth a thin line of displeasure. It was very satisfying indeed to watch the tall alpha hunch slightly so they were almost the same height.

“Now, run along to your master,” Hux slowly donned his most menacing grin, the one that made most people shudder and refuse to meet his gaze, “I have a business to lead.” 

Hux turned himself smartly and then glided away, his hands fastened behind his back in nonchalant victory. He was halfway down the hall leading to his office, almost free of this tiresome encounter. Almost safe. 

“You should buy better shoes,” Kylo’s deep voice called from behind him, not loud, simply projected enough to be heard, “Less likely to trip next time.” 

The slight hesitation of Hux’s feet betrayed him. 

 

-

 

The next day when he went for his run, Kylo showed up on the street where they had first encountered each other, except now on the same side as Hux. 

There was no escaping him as he fell in right by Hux’s side.

Neither of them said a word. 

 

-

 

The day after that, Hux spotted Kylo up ahead, jogging in place waiting for him.

He immediately turned around and went the other direction. 

 

-

 

On the third day, instead of turning left in front of his flat building like he always did, he went right. 

 

-

 

_Mitaka should be the one doing this._

That was the only thing Hux could think, gritting his teeth in annoyance, as Finn carefully handed him the resumes of several promising law students all vying for an internship alongside New York’s finest legal firm. They would spend their fourteen hour days sorting through legal precedent and drafting documents, but there was no need to dash any of their delicate dreams. 

Yet.

Hux gave the new assistant a sharp glance and a sigh. Mitaka had been sent to personally run important hard drives containing financial records over to First Order Industries and would not be back for another hour. That meant that Hux was forced to deal with Finn. The young simpleton had no idea what he was doing.

“How did I end up with you?” Hux spat viciously as Finn rifled through the large pile in his arms, looking for Hux’s requested document. Hux had asked for it specifically because he knew it was towards the bottom. 

“We drew straws…” Finn mumbled before he could subsume his own honestly. He was going to be a shoddy lawyer someday….

“For or against being my temporary aide?” Hux latched onto Finn’s confession, speaking loudly. Finn went ashen again. He finally located the single inconspicuous file and handed it over to Hux quietly. 

A shoddy lawyer indeed. 

When Finn leaned over to hand him the documents, a smell reached through to Hux. There was a sly sweetness hiding under those long sleeves and the smell of a beta. Due to his impending biological event, Hux’s hypersensitive nose caught hold of the smell and immediately identified it. 

He sucked in a sharp breath.

Finn jerked backwards. 

They stared at each other for a moment, both frozen on what to do. Finn looked away first, exposing his neck in clear subservience, sweat starting to bead on his brow line. After a moment’s pause, a dark hand held out another file, as if it were an offering to pretend nothing had happened. 

Hux continued to stare, even though the other man wouldn’t dare meet his gaze . 

“Go home.” He said finally, voice monotone. 

Finn’s hand shook slightly, “Sir?” He squeaked out. 

“Go home, take another shower, and do whatever it is _you lapdogs_ do to cover up that awful stench,” Hux was no longer able to keep his voice bland, instead it was now full of hatred. 

Finn would think that Hux’s revulsion was do to his hidden social status. As a beta, Hux would not be able to act upon the young man’s biology, simply sneer at it and call him names. There was no way to discern that Hux’s anger was actually due to the fact that Finn was sloppy and easily found out. He would not last much longer in this vicious world and Hux knew it was only a matter of time before a cute face like Finn’s became fair game for anyone that wanted him.  

The poor thing looked like he was about to faint. 

Hux did not care. 

Before he left, Finn turned and tried to meet Hux’s gaze. The man’s voice was hollow. 

“Sir… You’re not going to fire me, are you?” 

“That remains to be seen. Now…. promptly send in the _winner_ of the next round of straws.” 

 

-

 

When Hux had been born, neither his mother nor his father was really present for the birth. Obviously, his mother physically had to be there, but she was on so many medications, sedated for the cesarean section, that she remembered none of it. A kind nurse had taken a few pictures for her. 

Hux’s father stayed home for the entire thing, catering to his wife. He did not meet Armitage until the babe was almost a week old. Unfortunately, not even once he held his second born son in his arms would he commit any more to being a father figure in Armitage’s life. 

Brendol Hux was an alpha, well bred and affluent with flaming red hair that everyone loved to comment on. Marriage to his wealthy and well educated wife made sense; the two were happy with each other and the increase in power each brought to the table. They had a son together named Brendol Junior, and he was spoiled beyond all measure. 

Brendol Hux’s wife, Maratelle, was also a beta. 

Enter a sweet kitchen worker, brought on to help the Huxs’ personal chef cater a multitude of fancy dinners and state meetings. She was small boned, quiet, pale of skin and hair. The mess created once it was discovered that the poor girl was an omega would loom over the household for years, only dissipating when she passed away from cancer leaving her six year old son behind. Hux knew that his mother had never been Brendol’s wife, that he was a bastard born out of wedlock. The only consolation he could attain from the entire thing was that his mother had been Brendol’s bondmate, something much stronger and more permanent than any marriage.

The years he spent being poked by his older brother, berated by his stepmother, and ignored by his father only made Hux both jaded at the world and desperate for approval. 

He made sure to get perfect marks in school, excel at every sport. By age eleven, the scraggly preteen could already do Brendol Jr’s college level maths assignment better than he could. Armitage had once found Junior’s school work and laptop strewn about the study and decided to take a red pen to all of his elder brother’s mistakes. Once he found out, Junior grabbed him by the scruff and threw him into the estate’s decorative pond out front, school uniform and all. 

Then, only a month after Hux’s seventeenth birthday everything changed. Those four days immediately became the worst days of his life. Brendol was furious, Junior thought the whole thing hilarious, and Maratelle simply watched with silent vindication. 

As if Hux was not a mess before, his decent into sheer madness was clear indication that he was not fit to be part of such a prestigious family. Brendol let Armitage hide behind a locked door in the manor basement the few times a year he needed to, but that was only because he did not want some upstart alpha to have claim to his fortune through bondright. Other than that small mercy, Armitage was quite literally kicked to the curb. 

It was not until Hux was almost nineteen, starving and alone, that a poorly conceived run-in with a female military recruiter shoved Hux over the edge. After a several hour long debate on whether or not to slit his wrists, he stole one of his brother’s credit cards, grabbed his passport, and never looked back. Junior had six other cards stacked in his wallet, so it would be weeks before the lout even realized the card was missing. That was more than enough time to make it to America and settle into a good school of Hux’s choosing. He would worry about the specifics once he got there. 

Hux hated that bloody recruiter. 

Always would.

She had given him his life back. 

 

- 

 

It would happen today. 

Slowly. Inevitably. The war drums gradually marched closer and closer. 

Hux shoved two aspirin into his mouth and chased it down with water. Once they were swallowed he finished the entire glass and poured himself another. He checked his flat, asked the receptionist Unamo to bring up his mail, and then padded softly down the hallway to the last door on the right. From the hallway the room looked normal enough, but something as simple as closing the heavy four inch thick metal door quickly gave away that the room was anything but ordinary. 

Hux had spent many years when he first came to America completely paralyzed in anxiety at the prospect of being found out. He had no secured place to ride out his biological needs, and sometimes the crushing weight of it brought him to frustrated tears. At least three times a year, normally four days long each time, Hux shivered in absolute fear as he waited for someone to find him and take his life away. Somehow, with careful planning and a lot of luck, Hux managed it. He moved around a lot, constantly washed everything, even found someone like him to roommate with during his junior year of college.  

Unfortunately, two of them together in the same place was a recipe for disaster. 

Hux had escaped.

The roommate was not so lucky. 

Now Hux had lots of money and state of the art technology on his side. Once he locked the reinforced door from the inside, it could not be opened again until Hux punched in the correct key codes on the small input pad right next to the light switch. 

Hux checked the pallet of water bottles. Then the mini fridge full of fruits and various other snacks. He would not be eating a full meal for a few days, but he would snack enough to more than make up for the lost calories. All his toiletries were stacked neatly in the little alcove next to a toilet and sink. 

His hands were already clammy. A warmth pooled in his lower abdomen. 

The scent glands on each side of his neck, nestled at the little junction where the jawline, earlobe and jugular vein all met, throbbed like a pulsar. 

_I hate this…._

With a depressed sigh, he gathered his phone, his laptop, and several random articles of clothing. 

Hux never used even half the clothes he grabbed, but he hated to think of himself naked. 

He even grabbed his trainers. The ones Kylo had told him to toss. 

All that was left was a quick email to Mitaka, a text to Phasma concerning the San Tekka files, and finally answering Unamo when she knocked on his door and handed him his mail for the week. That was the final prep needed and it went speedily by without a single hitch. He had done this so many times before. And more importantly, he had conditioned the people surrounding him to not bat an eye at any of the behaviors. He only ever called for his mail once a week. If there was a package or something pressing, he went down to the mailroom to retrieve it personally. A random week here or there throughout the year working from home was a normal thing Hux did because he was the boss and could do as he pleased. Phasma and all his employees knew better than to call him. Hux only ever corresponded with anyone through email and text.

It eliminated any chance he had of accidentally talking to someone at a moment when he should not, lest he give away anything when he was at his most vulnerable. 

_Heat sucks…._

 

-

 

The first day was always manageable. Some jerking off, maybe a little bit of dildo action. He texted back and forth with Phasma about their quarterly profit margin and went through some emailed advertisement ideas. 

By the second day, he couldn’t stand wearing clothes, even silk. He never used up all the clothes he brought with him. 

Day three was alway the worst. As in, he would have clawed his way into the lap of even a creature as revolting as Snoke in exchange for a rough ride and a quick bite to his scent glands. More than once, dark hair and a soaked collar bone crept into his mind, Kylo’s low voice whispered hotly over the nape of his neck. He lost count of how many times he brought himself to completion, smearing himself with every stimulant oil and lube money could buy. 

By the fourth day, Hux was too tired to do much about the horrible aching within him. Instead he found himself laying on his stomach and looking at reviews for various running shoes. He had caught sight of his trainers sitting forlorn under the data pad near the door. They really did look worn down. While far from being unwearable, maybe it was indeed time to replace them. 

 

-

 

Unamo buzzed his flat right as he was getting out of the shower to say that he had received a package. One of the best things about New York City was that you could buy anything online and for a little extra money he could have it almost immediately delivered to his building. 

Hux’s radiating scent was gone and his bodily fluids had been scrubbed away from his skin so he asked her if she minded running the package up to him. 

She quickly agreed. 

 

-

 

Early the next morning, Hux spotted Kylo before the alpha saw him. The lanky man was jogging along, steadily approaching the same intersection as him. 

 _Stay down, you cheeky bastard._ Hux told his penis repeatedly as it jumped at the sight of toned arms and wet skin. 

Now it was Kylo’s turn to be surprised and Hux’s turn to stare as the light changed and Hux made his way slowly over. He breezed past the other man, not waiting for Kylo to catch up. A dominating presence soon found it’s way perched on his right, quiet and steps in steady rhythm with his own. 

“Nice shoes.” Kylo said finally.

_Stay down, please stay down_

“Thanks. They’re new.”

 

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my outline is finished and everything is mapped out. This should be between 25 and 30 chapters, currently ending at the 27 mark, but I'm truly horrible at sticking to an outline. I just finished up chapter 3 and am working on chapter 4. I will post chapter 3 this Sunday and after that I think I will make Sundays my update day. It seems like a good amount of time to write, edit and finalize each chapter.
> 
> Be patient with this slow burn, I have goodies planned starting chapter 6. ;)
> 
> Please let me know what you think below!


	3. Winning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys get to know each other more. Hux is starting to accept Ben getting close to him, just not too close. Please give this slow burn a chance, it'll be worth it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alpha compulsion come into play in this chapter. It's just a vocal anomaly that alpha's have that only works on omegas. It's very hard to ignore an alpha once they use it, though it's not impossible to resist, just takes a lot of effort. 
> 
> Please excuse any errors, I am beta-less, though I would love to find one if anybody is interested. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 3

 

They have been running together like this for a week. Every day they met at the same intersection, raced each other along the early morning streets until Hux peeled off to one side or turned around. He made sure to leave Kylo at a different place each time, always gave the other man a stern look clearly stating that Kylo was no longer invited by his side. 

“Where exactly do you live, Armitage?” Kylo finally chuckled one morning. 

“What’s your real name?” Hux shot back without missing a beat, trying not to seize up at the thought of an alpha learning where he lived or grind his teeth at the sound of his own name. He had already turned away for the day, marking the end of their routine jog together. Kylo was now following him. 

Perfect… 

Hux watched out of the corner of one eye as Kylo jogged along beside him. Kylo’s dark bun bounced with his steps in a completely unflattering yet very distracting way that made Hux seethe. The way Hux tensed at the question went unnoticed. Thankfully. Kylo was busy looking away for once, pretending he had not heard Hux’s comeback. 

“Why are you still here?” The lawyer asked huffily. It was a not too subtle, but hopeful, hint for Kylo to get lost. 

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to go get some coffee toget-“ 

“No.” 

“Oh come on, it’s not like I’m asking to fuck you or any-“

“NO!” 

Oh why, _why_ , did Kylo have to phrase it that way? And why did Hux’s lower abdomen have to flood with warm pressure at the sound of it passing through Kylo’s seductively oafish lips. 

Kylo full on snapped at him then, furious at Hux’s almost yelled rejection. Heated growl, peeled lips, gnashing teeth.

It made Hux almost piss himself. 

At least Hux had kept the whimper in. All he needed was to whine in front of this dolt and egg him on. Hux knew that any weakness in front of the taller man would immediately be exploited. Give an inch, and Kylo would take the whole bloody planet.

Kylo shoved his way in front of him and ground to a halt. Hux barely managed not to knock his head into the alpha’s long nose. That would be a disaster. 

Kylo then crowded him backwards along the sidewalk. With his chin tucked in submission, eyes focusing on Kylo’s naval without even noticing he was doing it, Hux danced backwards until he realized Kylo was not going to relent and finally planted his feet and straightened his back. 

“Stop!” He grit out with a heavy growl. His eyes were still adverted downwards. 

He was rather stunned when Kylo stopped short, looming over him, but still at safe distance. 

“Why do you have to be _so_ confusing….” Kylo grit out finally, “And weird.” 

“ _I’m_ weird?!” Hux was yelling now. The nerve of him, pompous overgrown twat. 

“Yes!” Finally gaining control of himself, Hux spared Kylo a quick glance. The frustration was clearly evident in the twist of Kylo’s lips. His long face was screwed up in barely concealed hurt that took Hux off guard. 

His eyes dropped downwards again. 

“You act like you want nothing to do with me, but you come and run with me every day. You say no to seeing each other, but then you obviously find me attractive,” Kylo’s nostrils flared as he quickly scented the air. Hux felt his muscled tense instinctually, preparing to bolt, “You’re a beta, and you try to act like an alpha sometimes, but then sometimes you… act…. _different_ …. towards me at least.” 

If he could have at that moment, Hux would have laughed. Everything felt too cold though, too close to home. 

“Then why are you still here?” The question was quiet. 

“What?” Kylo stepped forward in order to hear better. 

“If I’m so frustrating, why are you still here? With me? We barely know each other, and we’re not friends.” Hux struggled to keep the multitude of emotions tumbling inside him out of his carefully controlled mono-tone. 

Kylo stared at him.

“I like your hair.” He answered dumbly. 

It was the stupidest pick up line Hux had ever heard before in his life. Kylo could not have less game if he tried and Hux wanted to slap his own forehead, or maybe’s Kylo’s vapid fucking face, in utter exasperation. 

The noise that came from his throat was half a groan, half a scream.

Hux knew what his hair was like. Tapered shortly on the sides, long on top, normally slicked smartly in a meticulous style but right now waving backwards due to the hairband. Bright fiery orange in color, the same color as his father. Everyone loved Hux’s hair; they commented on the uniqueness, asked him which parent he got it from. 

Hux hated his hair and it’s revolting color. 

“Stay the hell away from me.” He raged, side stepping around Kylo to continue down the sidewalk. 

Kylo did not follow him this time.

 

-

 

Fuck Kylo. Seriously, fuck that guy.

Not only did he ruin a perfectly good running partner arrangement, but apparently he then threw a tantrum and scared Mitaka half to death. 

During the secretary’s latest run to First Order Industries, Mitaka's poorly thought out explanations concerning the hard copies he was moving from location to location was not good enough for the alpha. The poor sod had come back an hour after leaving, massaging his neck and muttering something about being held up in the air by his throat due to the giant toddler’s anger. Kylo had also thrown Mitaka’s briefcase down a rubbish chute. Hux was _furious_. He already needed to confer with Snoke about legal litigation they were taking against copy-written software being manufactured in a basement somewhere in New Jersey anyway, why not get Kylo fired in the meantime?

So he packed his leather briefcase and buzzed for Thannison to pick him up out front and take him to the Order, which was nestled in the heart Midtown Manhattan’s Silicon Alley.

“Need back-up?” Phasma asked dryly as he passed her door.

Hux barely even broke his smooth stride to the lift as he flicked on his sunglasses and straightened his tie. 

He sneered at her. “Do I ever?” 

 

-

 

Just so happens that Kylo was the one who was sent to escort him into the First Order Industries headquarters. Hux tried not to marvel at it as they pulled up in front of the gleaming glass exterior that was the Order’s beacon of power. Instead of staring at the building, Hux pointedly fixed the man waiting on the front steps with a withering glare. Once again dressed in all black, the very bane of Hux’s existence seemed to be popping up everywhere lately. 

“Hello, Armitage.”

Hux’s jaw muscled clenched painfully. 

Kylo seemed very happy to see him as he walked down the steps, towering over Hux like a dark apparition. The alpha jovially fell in by his side like he always did. It was almost becoming a very familiar and soothing ritual between them, even if Hux would never admit to it. 

“Go ahead. Smile.” Hux was calm and cool as ice, “See how happy you are after I speak with President Snoke.” 

Kylo frowned. 

“What did I do?” He asked hotly. 

“You attacked my secretary.” Hux did not wait for Kylo to open the front doors, he simply leaned forward and yanked them open himself. The frown on Kylo’s face disappeared and was immediately replaced by a victorious gleam in Kylo’s amber brown eyes. 

“I was hoping you would come yourself.” He growled seductively.

“Please. As if an animal like you has any capability of forethought.” Hux managed to keep his composure, but he gulped reflexively the moment Kylo wasn’t watching him. Had this brute actually engineered a way to get him off his home turf? Had Hux played right into those outstretched, greedy hands?

And of course they just had to come upon the lift right then, open and waiting for them. 

“It worked didn't it?” Kylo purred. He was too close. 

Everything felt extremely tense and awkward, almost amplified, as the lift doors closed behind them and they started their ascent. Aroused alpha pheromones quickly filled the enclosed area like a musky cloud. It was beyond distracting. Hux’s reflection stared back at him from the polished steel of the lift’s interior. His face was a very faint shade of pink, making his horrendous hair look even more pronounced. 

He opened his mouth ever so slightly to breathe without taking in more of the alpha’s scent. 

“Why won’t you go out with me? I can tell you want to.” Kylo asked finally, charging forth like he always did. 

“Why won’t you tell me your name?” Hux said the first comeback that came to mind. He normally had much better ones, so he had no clue why he kept subconsciously choosing to bite down on that particular vexation.  

“I’m not supposed to use it on the job or when in connection with President Snoke.” Kylo gave a haughty look, like that was a perfectly good reason and he had just won some sort of battle of wits, “Security purposes.” 

“Well, I’m not supposed to get coffee with my wealthiest client’s genetically stunted bouncer.” Hux mimicked Kylo’s sentence pattern and flippant tone. “Professional conflict of interests.” 

 _Just breathe through your mouth, Hux, you can do this…._  

“You don’t seem like the kind of guy who cares about conflict of interests…” Kylo groused. It was the truth, Hux conceded. Normally he would not even pause if there was any sort of unethical dilemma, it was a pretty obvious lie concerning his personal character. He could give a shit less about Mitaka and his princess feelings, or about what Snoke might think if he dated one of his employees, he just wanted to see Kylo get yelled at. 

The thus Hux’s true problem was accurately identified.

Kylo. 

He embodied everything that scared Hux senseless when no one was watching. 

Brash, hot tempered, commanding, and very attractive. Hux knew it was only a matter of time before Kylo ruined him, so he had to act first and cut off the offending limb, take his losses before the damage was too great. It would not be the first time he had taken such measures to ensure the death of any romantic entanglements. 

Kylo only seemed to realize it then, standing in the quiet elevator, that Hux might be floundering when it came to dealing with the taller man’s very focused attention. 

“Ben.” the alpha muttered finally.

“Excuse me?” Hux spat back.

“My name,” Kylo answered, “It’s Ben. Ben Solo.” 

Hux almost laughed. Of course this gigantic, scary caveman would have a simple name like that.

“A simpleton’s name,” Hux grinned in absolute joy.

Ben shot him a nasty look, “Ok, _Armitage_ , has anyone ever said your name without you turning into a fucking porcupine?”

Ouch. 

Touché?

The lift pinged slightly and opened. Hux fled the cramped cage, utilizing the opportunity to both not answer and distance himself from Ben’s stupid sex perfume. 

And even though he didn't dare look back, Hux knew Ben was watching his every move. 

 

-

 

Hux always felt very strange in President Snoke’s presence. The man might be old, but he was dangerous. An all consuming darkness seemed to follow Snoke everywhere and many people avoided having anything to do with him. Thankfully, that aversion had worked to Hux’s benefit many years ago as several lawyers were hesitant to take on the fledgling Order. Hux, as a new entrepreneur, quickly jumped at the chance to secure their mutually beneficial contract, complete with a hefty retainer that erased a large portion of Hux’s debt from starting his own business.  

Even if it was due to Snoke and his cooperation that allowed him to flourish financially, Hux always made sure to up his deceptive facade when in the elderly businessman’s presence. 

Hux was almost positive that Snoke knew what he was. 

It was like some hidden secret between them, neither one letting the other see their cards, playing a brutal game of cat and mouse. 

Still, there was no mistaking the way Snoke ordered him around, how he cut him off whenever they disagreed, in the way those dangerous eyes never left Hux’s face or neck. Snoke dominated everyone around him, even other alphas, but there was a certain entitlement in the brisk nature he handled his lawyer that left no doubt as to who was in charge. Bound by both contract and biology, Hux obeyed him with slowly simmering rage locked under his placidly receptive face. 

As their meeting drew to an end, Hux thought about bringing up Kylo’s truly grotesque behavior. He was about to open his mouth to begin his grievance, but promptly snapped his jaw shut again. 

Snoke would never listen to him. 

Especially when considering that Snoke might know about his secret social status, the last thing Hux needed to do was complain about an alpha in Snoke’s own personal security. The action would look petty and weak and confirm all the horrible things in Snoke’s mind that Hux assumed where already there. 

Hux was stuck. 

So when Snoke dismissed him, he gave his usual polite head bow and and silently exited the room. 

“So, did you tell on me?” Kylo’s low rumbling timbre reached his ears not five steps after he had closed Snoke’s office door with a soft click. 

_No, not Kylo. Ben._

Hux watched the taller man as he leaned against the wall opposite him, long legs splayed outward awkwardly in front of him. He took in the handsome face, large ears, and a splattering of small moles covering one cheek. 

Ben paused, his eyes widening slightly. He then slinked away from the wall and slowly prowled forward, the look on his face delighted and dark with primitive lust. 

“You didn’t, did you?” The tone marked his question as clearly rhetorical. Those plush lips curled slightly. Ben was practically preening with satisfaction. 

Hux snorted loudly, not willing to admit that he had failed in exacting his revenge. It was a very rare occurrence that Hux was unable to follow through with his threats or get retribution once he had carefully, patiently, plotted to act. Normally his enemies never saw he was coming. With Ben, not only had he revealed his plans beforehand, now he had come short when it came to dealing the final blow. 

Why did Ben have to stand so close? That rock solid chest was dangerously close to bumping into his own slender build. Hux let the alpha scent bathe over him, for once letting it flow through his nostrils like a friend rather than an obtuse complication that he had to deal with. 

Spicy. Earthy. Naturally strong. 

“Go out with me.” Ben stated calmly. 

Hux gave a slight jolt. 

Whether Ben was conscious about it or not, Hux was unable to tell, but his request had been laced with compulsion. It was like Ben’s voice was suddenly the most enticingly warm and safe thing in the world. Hux could do nothing but squirm as the desire to submit flooded every system of his body. Even betas said that alpha compulsion sounded very soothing, peaceful, although they felt no need to immediately comply with whatever they were being told to do. 

“Listen, just a coffee down the street after you get off. I’ll be waiting outside?” Ben gave him a soulful look, amber eyes almost begging,“Please?”

The open look on Ben’s face told Hux he had no idea he was using compulsion, so Hux decided not to fight it. Instead he relaxed, tilting his head slightly to the side to expose the barest sliver of his neck, and leaned into the surrender like it was the most natural thing he had ever done in his life. 

“Fine.” 

For the first time since they had met, Ben broke out into a genuine smile. It wasn’t one of the smiles he used to taunt or intimidate, full of sharp canines and dark energy. This was an honest smile, easy, laid back and mostly closed lip. 

It was almost like an entirely new person had taken Ben’s place. 

Hux could have melted on the spot. Instead, he took Ben’s momentary lapse in intensity as a chance to regain his bearings and straighten his back in quiet resolve, his neck now hidden from view. 

“But this is not a date and you will not touch me,” He almost pointed one long finger, like he was herding a classroom full of five year olds instead of the man standing before him. No, this was just a very large, very good looking, adult five year old. 

Maybe he should use the finger. 

Ben _had_ manipulated him with compulsion, even if he hadn’t realized it; all child admonishment techniques were now officially fair game. 

“Sure.” Ben agreed quickly. He had suddenly become very amiable and quiet. 

“No more harassing any of my employees, no destroying property or any of that preposterousness you barbarians think is fun.” Hux was going to plant his flag as far over the enemy line as he could, claiming every square inch of bloody battleground in case he needed it for later. “And for Christ’s sake, learn some boundaries! I don’t need you grinding on me like a savage.”  

_Oh please, grind on me, just a little._

Ben dutifully took a half step backwards out of Hux’s personally bubble. It was only a half step, but it was a start. Choosing to take the victories he could and let it be, Hux relaxed and pulled out his sunglasses. There was a pregnant pause as he placed them on his face, Hux waiting to see if Ben broke his now acceptable composure. 

He didn’t. 

Pleasure radiated through Hux like a hot metal coil, so electrifying that he refused to let the constant nagging of his ever present fear steal his happiness. However, he did pause long enough to fix Ben with a steely look over the top of the sunglasses. 

“Stop messing with my life Ben, I mean it.” 

“But I want to mess with your life.” Ben seemed ready to pounce at any moment, military-like discipline barely keeping him at bay. His eyes smoldered with a hungry need that shot straight to Hux’s lower abdomen and settled deftly between his legs, “Every part of it.” 

Ben then strolled away, looking like a man on top of the world. 

 _I’ve made a terrible mistake…._ Hux told himself, and for the first time in a long time, he had no idea what to do. 

_Idiot. You should have run when you had the chance._

 

- 

 

So Hux did run. 

That afternoon when he left his office, he refused to meet the hopeful brown eyes as they watched him descend the steps. Ben was discreetly waiting for him off to one side, like he had said he would. Instead of acknowledging that long face as it slowly twisted with open fury, Hux made straight for his car. 

Thannison had the door open, so he slipped right into the backseat.           

As they drove past, Hux glanced out the window at the tall alpha, standing there still rooted in place.

He was _pissed_.                      

 

-

 

Ben did not show up the next morning. 

Hux ran alone, and in peace. 

The empty loss within him was impossible to ignore. 

 

-

 

The sun had long ago drifted below the horizon, but Hux continued to sift through his neatly stacked mound of case files. Thankfully he had decided to finish his workload at home rather than stay in his office. There was only so much of Phasma’s overpowering directness and Finn’s sweating anxiety he could take.  

Still, as he clacked away at his laptop keys, the underlying itch just kept buzzing right below the skin. His neck, his arms, his inner thigh; it was everywhere. 

 _I should be looking over these case notes for Monday’s hearing…._ He berated his own weakness as the seconds ticked by without any work actually being accomplished. 

He _should_ be reviewing work, but found himself clicking on his naughty folder of goodies instead. 

_Only human right?_

The freeze frame of his favorite video was staring back at him amongst the small collection of videos downloaded onto his laptop. He sighed heavily, a mixture of acceptance and defeat. 

Porn was always such a hopeless endeavor. 

It was always too cheesy, too staged. And gross. 

Hux hadn’t touched another human being in years and not engaged anyone for sex in _forever_ , so he had long ago turned to porn to vent some of his frustrations, only to come up even more frustrated. Anything acceptable to him, as a homosexual male, was between two betas, since alphas and omegas were normally straight. Except beta sex rarely had the … _dynamic_ he was looking for. 

Simply put, it was too soft for him. 

Maybe his preferences were something that people simply did not care to video much of? That or Hux was just a hopeless freak of nature. 

Fortunately he had found a small niche long ago and now an innocuous folder hidden in a random location on his computer held a small amount of juicy videos that Hux turned to whenever he got truly desperate. He double clicked the chosen video, knowing once he started there would be no stopping. This was a good one and Hux knew he’d be a slavering mess once it finished it’s grand twenty-two minutes of torture. 

This little horny morsel of fun was one of the precious few videos he had found with an actual alpha, proven genuine by the knot that Hux knew stuck hard within the alpha’s sexual partner around the nineteen minute mark. 

It did not matter that the other man in the video was a beta, Hux liked to pretend otherwise. 

True alpha and omega porn was damned near impossible to find. Alphas were extremely territorial about their bond mates, so everything he had come across was just people pretending to be what they were not and Hux had enough of that bullshit to deal with on his own. 

 _“Hand me your belt.”_ A commanding voice echoed from the laptop speakers. The camera was focused on a slim man in his mid twenties, beta, blonde with round eyes. Hux slipped his own belt off as the man on the screen did the same. 

 _“Strip.”_ The alpha behind the camera was commanding, but not degrading. His partner trusted him as he handed over the belt and then stripped his clothes. _“Now on the bed.”_  

The blonde made to lay on his back, but the alpha was quick to correct him. 

_“No, you know what I want.”_

Hux watched as the beta’s mouth opened slightly in protest, knowing one of his favorite parts was coming up. He pulled his half hard member out from his now unbuttoned pants, letting it flop upwards towards his stomach. 

 _“But I want to see yo-“_ Blondie sounded genuine, if a little pathetic.

 _“Did I give you permission to speak?”_ The alpha filming did not hide the displeasure from his voice when he cut the other man off. 

This part always confused Hux. He liked telling people what to do, manipulating them to his will. However, on the rare occasion when he was truly honest with himself, he knew that in that bedroom, being told what to do excited him more than anything else. At the alpha’s correction, blood flushed downwards to pool warmly in his belly. He was rapidly getting hard. 

Why did that little statement get to him so much?

The naked blond flipped onto his stomach, resting heavily on his hands and knees. The prone position made Hux pant a little. He knew that the alpha was now setting up the camera on some sort of dresser or tripod because the camera became stationary, so he took the chance to slip his pants farther down to stop them from digging into his hips and balls. Hux made sure to pay careful attention though when the alpha stepped into the frame, still fully clothed, and used the belt to bind the beta’s wrists together tightly. 

 _“Good boy.”_ The alpha cooed slightly. Hux leaned back, relaxing, as if the praise had been meant for him. He took himself in hand and harshly thumbed over the sensitive head. Depending on his mood, Hux sometimes skipped the next portion, but today he felt like watching as the larger man settled behind his partner and starting preparing him. It didn’t take long watching the alpha’s fingers slipping in and out, carefully coating the blonde’s unseen hole with generous amounts of lube, for Hux to start leaking all over his hand. He was hard and throbbing. 

It was the filthy talk that got him though. 

_“Are you going to come from just my hand?” “So greedy.” “Don’t worry, pet, I’ll let you finish if you’re good.” “Let me know when you’re close.” “I’ll take care of you.”_

The blond was full on whimpering now, thrusting himself backwards. Finally he resorted to begging. Hux felt like begging too, even though he was no where near finishing yet himself. 

_“Please, Master. May I- aaahhh…finish? Please, please, please….”_

Another complicated part for Hux to try and understand. He could never figure out if he approved of the whole ‘ _Master_ ’ title or not. Seemed a little bit dramatic to tell the truth. It was especially confusing when he realized he did not know if he would like being _called_ Master…. or saying it to someone else.

_“Come for me.”_

Sometimes that was enough for Hux, it certainly was for the blonde as he shot his load all over the sheets beneath him. Today though, Hux simply leaned back in his chair, his head lulling backwards over the top of it to fully bare his neck in open surrender, something he never ever did in public. His hand pumped furiously at his member, his breathe was getting out of control again. 

He closed his eyes, listening closely to the rustling of clothes on the screen as the alpha undressed. Then there was moaning and a vulgar wet slapping sound that Hux quickly fell into rhythm with. His hips thrust in time with the brutal pace. 

He looked at the screen just in time to see the alpha scoop the video camera off its perch and bring it to where he was plunging his rapidly inflating cock into his partner. The camera caught everything, from the already re-hardening cock of the blonde being fucked senseless to the alpha’s balls tightening up as they slapped repeatedly into the back of the other man’s thighs. Hux was about to come when the view shifted back up to the beta’s flushed face. The alpha’s other hand, the one not holding the video camera, was knotted tightly, painfully, in the long blonde hair. He was forcing the man lower onto his stomach, pinning him harshly with an elbow between the shoulder blades, burying that sweet face into the sheets. Still held captive by the tightly woven belt, the blonde’s wrists struggled helplessly to get free.

 _“Come again for me, pet….”_ The alpha’s growl was menacing, but very much just as wrecked as the beta’s twitching moans. 

Hux was finished, allowing the rush of pleasure to cascade over him like a hot bath. Semen shot up, coating his now exposed stomach and naval and even coating his fine business shirt he hadn't had a chance to change out of yet. He didn’t even register the two on the laptop reaching their own shared orgasm. 

Instead of watching as the alpha zoomed in on his humongous knot caught within the smaller man’s arse, Hux quickly clicked the laptop closed. 

Leaning back once again in his chair, he brought up both hands to cover his face. He wanted to scream, to rip out his hair, to jump into the screen and join the two men in their demented little game. 

Instead Hux silently pressed his palms into his eyes until it hurt. 

The pain kept them from watering. 

He had learned that trick years ago. 

 

- 

 

Hux hit the 4am alarm and for the first time, he contemplated not going for his run. Yesterday had been awful and he did not want any more of the quiet loneliness he had felt as he jogged the city streets without Ben by his side. 

They had barely known each other for more than week. Only talked a hand full of times. 

Setting his jaw in determination, Hux pulled forth his iron discipline, which he had neglected more and more lately. He made himself sit up, slide from beneath his covers and dress in his running gear, ignoring his new trainers in favor of the old ones. 

 

-

 

Twenty minutes into his run and he was pushing himself too hard. Hux was so focused on keeping his breathing even and eyes focused that he did not hear the rapid steps approaching from behind. That familiar, dominating presence settled in next to him, causing Hux to glance sideways and almost skid to halt. 

Ben just gave him a lop-sided smile, slowing down to accommodate Hux’s surprise. 

“What can I say, I’m a glutton for punishment.” 

“Indeed….” Hux murmured between deep breathes, regaining his composure. 

“I’m still pissed at you though.” 

The anger waiting just below the surface in Ben’s tone made Hux quiver a little.

Neither of them spoke for several long minutes, they simply enjoyed the routine that they had created together. It felt right. 

Hux did not want to, but he found himself speaking first anyways through tight lips that fought him with every word. “I want to…. apologize….” 

Damn, this was hard. 

“I was wrong.”

There. He said it. 

“For standing me up?” Ben asked. He was not going to let Hux escape that easily. Bloody arsehole. 

“For saying yes in the first place.” Hux hissed the words out with contempt, trying to relay to Ben that he was pushing too many buttons. There was only so much Hux could tolerate. He had said he was sorry and wrong, now back off. 

“Why?” Message not received. 

No gold star for you today, Ben. 

“I can’t go out with you.” Hux answered in exasperation. 

“Why?”

Hux was about to roundhouse kick him in the jaw. 

 _I can’t go out with you because I know the moment you truly see me, you’ll ruin everything. I can’t because this sort of behavior isn't productive. This entire relationship is unhealthy. I can’t go out with you because I’m a coward and you’re a complete imbecile._  

“I just- …. can’t.”

“I hate you.” Ben ground out the words like they were hurting him in some way. His hands where clenched in tight fists, his jaw a taunt bowstring on the verge of snapping. 

“I hate me.” 

The words tumbled out of his mouth before Hux could properly filter them away. He gave Ben a nervous look and he could see Ben watching him out of the corner of his eye, carefully noting all of Hux’s insecure ticks in behavior. 

Ben sighed. 

“Buy me breakfast.” He said flatly. No compulsion, just a dry demand from someone who was deeply irritated and did not want to show it. Hux looked away, about to open his mouth to say that it was a bad idea, but Ben cut him off, “Not a date, just feed me. I know of this awesome little shithole down to street from by apartment that sells a mean breakfast burrito.”

Ben was trying hard, but he could not keep the hopeful smirk from curling his lips ever so slightly. He was not nearly as good as Hux in concealing his emotions.

“This isn’t a game, Ben.” It was Hux’s turn to be annoyed. He did not even need to respond yes or no, they both already knew what his answer would be. 

Ben gave a dangerous, but playful, flash of teeth. 

“If it were, I’d be winning.”

 

-

 

And that’s how Hux ended up standing in a queue, amongst the common folk, buying Ben a breakfast burrito and cherry Coke.

_This place really is a shithole…_

“Do not poke fun at my accent.” Hux’s voice was laced with venom and cold promise as they filed down the counter towards the food pick up window. It had taken the gruff man working the till several painful moments to figure out what exactly Hux was ordering, especially since the redhead was unfamiliar with a lot of the street slang mixed with Spanish terms splashed almost randomly across the hand-written menu. As soon as Hux paid and walked away, Ben full on guffawed in triumph. 

Their order appeared in the window and Hux turned to grab it, his cheeks burning.

“I’m not, I think it’s incredibly hot,” Ben said in his low growly voice that Hux was learning meant the taller man was horny. 

Hux slapped the burrito into Ben’s hand and then went to open his own. He chose to ignore the comment rather than encourage Ben’s bad behavior with even a snide refusal. Ben dove straight into wolfing down his breakfast, no form whatsoever, a thin line of sauce smeared on his chin. 

“Have you ever tried an American accent?” Ben asked suddenly, chewing slowly as they made their way down the street together.

“No.” Hux did not understand why he would ever try to sound like the uneducated peasants surrounding him. He found them all so dull. Plus the way Americans normally reacted to a British accent filled Hux with undeniable superiority, “Why on Earth would I want to sound like you?” 

Ben paused for a second, then grinned wickedly. His low rumbling voice suddenly gained a short edge, syllables clipped and as proper as someone with Ben’s complete lack of self control could manage. 

“Why on Earth would I want to sound like you?” Ben imitated as best he could. It was a horrible rendition really, nasally and with the wrong vowels enunciated, consonants disappearing at the incorrect intervals. 

“Oh dear…” Hux mocked harshly, the feigned despair in his voice at odds with the barely contained laugh. 

“As if you could do better…” Ben growled, his huge ears turning bright red. Hux could barely contain the wave of adoration that flooded through him. Large ears, horrible accent, random sauce on his chin. How could this man be so infuriating, yet so bloody perfect?

It was completely Ben’s fault when Hux relented by opening his mouth again, voice lowering to match Ben’s beautiful low rumble.

“As if you could do better.”

For never having done one before, Hux’s American accent was spot on. Plus, he did not even try to hide the sexual innuendo coursing through it.

Ben jolted slightly, sucking in a quick breath of air. There was no mistaking the jiggling of Ben’s right knee, the way his pupils dilated to almost swallow the beautiful amber brown of his eyes. It took the alpha a second to contain himself before whispering, more at himself than Hux but still loud enough to be heard, “Damn, you are better at this than I am.”

The proud swelling in Hux’s chest was a foreign concept. He rarely ever was proud of himself. Proud of his accomplishments, of his career and business, sure, but never at something about his own physique or personality. 

“Well,” He was all business again, measured with haughty control, “You alphas are simple creatures.”

Ben grinned again, openly staring at him with hot desire. 

Hux held his gaze, a strange impulse to lean forward and kiss Ben’s plush mouth barely held in check. His next words were challenging, but flirty, as if daring Ben to make a move. 

“Who’s winning now?” 

 

-

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have actually had trouble writing chapter 4. I'm beyond frustrated so I jumped ahead to chapter 6 and started writing that. lol. I'll have it ready by next Sunday though, promise. =)


	4. Liar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First date anyone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Give it up for our new Beta Clpud, who is total awesome-sauce in a cup! Hopefully my butterfingers will no longer be in the way of a good experience. ;)

Chapter 4 

 

Liar

 

There was a deli down that street from Hux’s building that he liked to go to sometimes for lunch. If he did not have the time to make the trip himself, which was often, Hux sent Mitaka there to grab his meal for him. Today, Hux had a small gap between his daily meeting with Phasma and his run down to the courthouse, so he told Thannison to wait as he walked to the corner and bought himself a sandwich. 

He kept his shoulders straight and glared at anyone who came too close. However, every once in awhile Hux had to maneuver around like a quasi-gymnast in order to maintain his personal bubble. Hux even had to growl over his shoulder at a plump beta woman who kept trying to force him to move closer to the person in front of him in the queue. 

“Well, this is awkward.” 

Hux sucked in the end of his growl and whipped around to glance at the person hovering over the opposite shoulder. 

“Are you following me?” Hux asked as familiar alpha scent bathed over him. 

“Maybe.” Ben answered, nestling his huge frame into the queue. At Hux’s narrowing glare, he gave a small snort and shrugged. “I don’t have your number and I don't really feel like calling your sniveling weasel of a secretary to speak with you so I went to your office saying that I had stuff from Snoke. Mitaka  said you had gone out for lunch, but then I saw your car and knew you hadn't left just yet…..”

Ben trailed off, causing Hux to raise an eyebrow. 

“I also might have told your driver that I’d break off one of your car side mirrors and say he did it if he didn’t tell me where you wandered off to.” 

Hux gave a small groan of false anger. This was getting to be ridiculous. He had tried holding Ben at arms length for weeks now and the alpha just refused to stay put, constantly pestering him during their runs for more time together. If Hux’s time was a Monopoly board, Ben wanted to buy every damned property and build a hotel on all of them. The man was borderline obsessive. Thankfully, contact with the Order had been rather sparse lately, so the two had not had much contact outside of their morning exercises. 

Strangely, Hux was starting to crave that devoted attention. 

It was like a drug. 

“Unbelievable.” Hux muttered under his breathe. “Do you want something?”

“Well your cell number would be a great start….” 

Hux peeled back his lips, flashing his canines in a confrontational gesture. Ben glanced at the motion and his face darkened slightly. It was obvious he did not like being challenged.

Hux found himself backpedaling. 

“I meant food, you gigantic idiot.” He said quickly. It was becoming harder and harder to keep Ben’s overpowering presence from dominating everything whenever he was nearby. Ben relaxed a little, showering Hux with an easy lopsided grin before examining the menu. 

“Yeah, sure! I’ll have a number eight, no mustard.” He looked from the menu back at Hux. “And your number?” 

Hux actually laughed then, a sound that was foreign even to his own ears. He glanced down at his watch in order to both ground himself and check the time. 

“You are quite literally the worst, Ben” 

“Only when it comes to you, Armi.” 

Hux gave another sound of annoyance, his shoulders hunching. Ben was pulling his phone out of a back pocket, nonchalant as ever. 

“Do not call me that.” 

Ben looked up from unlocking his phone, his password input too quick for Hux to get it properly, though he could pick out a few of the numbers Ben keyed in. They stepped forward in the line as it snaked towards the deli counter, the distance between them steadily decreasing in the cramped area like an impending checkmate of sorts. 

“What should I call you then? You don’t seem to like Armita-“ 

“Hux will suffice.” 

Ben blanched slightly. 

“That makes me feel like I’m back in the military. And stop cutting me off.” 

Hux quietly watched as the taller man pulled up the contacts list on his phone, barely leaving him a chance to latch onto the little tidbit about Ben’s past. Or his command to shut the hell up. Before Hux could stop him, Ben started trying out nicknames. “Hmm… Armi, MiMi? haha, you’d hate that. Tidge? No, Tahj?”

“Just stop.” Hux grit out, vainly trying to keep his temper in check.  

“Um… How about Tag?” 

Hux sucked in an involuntary gulp of air, his eyes rounding wide without even noticing. Long faded memories surfaced without warning or permission. 

_ “Where’d he go? Where’d my little man go?” _

_ A woman’s melodic voice called out.  _

_ “Come out, come out, where ever you are?” _

_ The lumpy child-shaped blanket on the sofa giggled loudly. _

_ “Where’s my Tag?” _

“Like the children’s game, you know? I kinda like it. Sounds like a kid’s name. Or a pet.” Ben gave him a mischievous sideways look. “We do seem to have a penchant for games….”

“You are not allowed to call me Tag.” Hux’s voice had gone completely bland. He could almost feel the scratch of that roughly knitted blanket and he desperately wanted to hide beneath it like he had done all those years ago. 

As heedless as Ben might be sometimes, at least he immediately noticed Hux’s change in demeanor and fell quiet. For once, he just waited patiently as Hux stared up at the deli menu, pretending that he was fine. 

_ It’s fine…. everything is fine….. _

“Ok, I’m going to go use the bathroom.” Ben held out the mobile for Hux to take, stepping back once it was safely in Hux’s grasp. “Be right back.”

Hux watched as Ben’s tall physique waded through the crowded shop, people parting for him like the damn Red Sea in a way Hux wished he could imitate. Behaviors that Hux had worked years to accomplish just seemed to come so naturally to Ben. People instinctively paid attention to the alpha, which Hux figured was entirely the point, whereas Hux was screaming in a microphone like a madman just to be heard.

Hux’s fingers hovered over the newly pulled up contact creation screen. He was about to start typing in his mobile number when another idea sprang to mind. 

If Ben wanted to stalk him, Hux would show him how to do it properly. 

He pulled up the app store on Ben’s phone and did a quick search. His desired app popped up almost instantly.

On several online message boards, some omegas were starting to fight back against any alphas they suspected knew their dirty secret. A highly recommended app was one that had been designed with the parents of teenagers in mind. It was an exceptionally accurate GPS tracking app that was great for battery life, had a stealth mode, and could disguise itself as a low profile document manager in a background folder. 

It was even free.  

Hux quickly downloaded it, synced it with his own mobile number so that he could access the data on his phone, and then turned on the app’s ‘ _ Invisi-Mode _ .’ The whole process barely took two minutes. He watched as the app pinged Ben’s GPS to his personal mobile, heart fluttering at the notion that he could now see everywhere Ben went. Hux was very pleased with himself indeed. He had successfully utilized a crucial lapse in Ben’s foolish trust against the alpha. By the time Hux had saved the tracking feed into Ben’s phone, he finally reached the front counter and began to order their food.

After he had placed their sandwich order, he grinned and added a cherry Coke. 

In his momentary conquest, Hux almost forgot the whole reason he had Ben’s phone in the first place. At least it had not locked back up yet. 

Cursing faintly under his breath, he typed his phone number into Ben’s phone for a second time, only now in the newly created contact bar Ben had pulled up earlier. When it came to type in his name however, Hux’s fingers hesitated over the keys, unsure. 

Hux almost rolled his eyes at his own lunacy. 

He was fine downloading tracking apps to people's’ phones without consent, but putting his name in the same device made him rethink what he was doing. A quick glance around told him that Ben was still not back from the loo. He quickly hit the lettered keys on the screen. 

Three alphabetic letters. 

No big deal. 

“That’ll be $27.23.” The woman standing in front of the till said in an all too happy manner.

 

Hux quickly hit ‘save contact’ on the phone in front of him, pulled out his wallet, and handed over his credit card. 

 

\------------------------------------

 

**so it took me awhile to find ur number**

 

_ Oh? _

 

**i knew u’d like my nickname**

 

_ It was against my better judgement, I assure you. _

 

**dont even pretend like im not growin on u**

 

_ Do not make me regret my decision. _

_ Arsehole. _

 

**i wont**

**promise**

**c u tomorrow**

**g’night tag**

 

-

 

**mornin!**

 

_ How in the bloody hell are you awake before my alarm? _

 

**lolz**

**see u soon**

 

_ God, I fucking hope not. _

 

**> =(**

 

_ - _

 

**almost got hit by a taxi!**

 

_ Damn! _

_ I must not have paid him enough… _

 

**not funny**

 

_ I think I’m rather hilarious. _

 

_ - _

 

**g’night tag**

 

_ - _

 

**mornin!**

 

_ Ben, will I ever need to use my alarm clock again? _

 

**nope**

 

_ I might as well throw it in the bin if you’re going to wake me every morning.  _

 

**haha**

**yes throw that shit away ill wake u up!**

 

_ Stupendous…. _

 

_ - _

 

**wanna lunch together**

**????**

**….**

**hello**

**Hey! I’m talking to you, princess!**

**…..**

**??**

**lunch?**

**im gonna keep textin u**

**jerk**

 

_ Ben, I’m in court right now! _

_ Stop making my pants vibrate! _

 

**HAHA**

**YEEEEES!!!!!**

**im your vibrator!**

**feel my pulsating wrath!!!**

**TAG, UR IT!!**

**im SOOO fuckin winning right now.**

**r u horny yet?**

 

_ - _

 

**can i get a dick pic?**

 

_ No. _

 

**k**

**g’night tag**

 

_ - _

 

**mornin!**

 

_ You’re impossible…. _

 

_ - _

 

**so its friday night**

 

_ Wow. Amazing. _

 

**ass**

**wanna go somewhere?**

 

_ Are you asking me out on a date? _

 

**well our first date never happened thnx to u**

 

_ I told you that it was NOT a date! _

 

**c’mon =‘(**

 

_ Can’t. _

_ I have work tonight. _

 

**_maybe tomorrow?_ **

 

_ What do you have in mind? _

 

**we seem to b doing fine w/meals together**

**if thatll help u not lose ur shit**

 

_ If anyone loses their shit, it would be you.  _

 

**true dat**

**theres lots of awsum places we could go**

 

_ Am I going to be able to sit down? _

_ Or have to worry about salmonella? _

 

**hey!**

**u liked my burrito joint**

**and we didnt sit down at ur sammich place**

  
  


_ Because it was busy. At least it HAD tables.  _

_ If we’re going to actually date, you’ll have to up your game. _

_ I have somewhere in mind. _

 

**Am I going to have to wear a tie?**

 

_ Oh, the horror! _

_ Heaven forbid you look presentable for once. _

 

**> =/**

 

_ Don’t worry.  _

_ A jacket, button up shirt and nice slacks will be adequate _

 

**7pm?**

 

_ I’ll make the reservation. _

 

**txt me address?**

 

_ 155 W 51st St _

_ It’s called Le Bernardin _

 

**i meant ur address u dope**

**and of course michelin stars!**

 

_ Don’t be intimidated. And we can just meet there. _

 

**im not intimidated!**

 

_ Good, because you’re paying. _

 

**ok ;)**

 

_ I have to get back to work now.  _

 

**fine**

**g’night tag**

 

_ Good night, Ben _

 

_ \----------------------------------------------------------- _

 

“Jesus Christ, this place is expensive.”

“You said you would pay.” 

“I know!” Ben couldn’t hide the wince that creased his face as he caught sight of yet another dollar sign. 

Hux snickered into his menu. He was having way too much fun with the whole thing, all of it at Ben’s both literal and figurative expense. The pageantry, the twenty different specialized utensils, Ben had even worn a tie, undeterred by the fact that Hux said he did not have to. It was hanging loose around his neck, the first two buttons of the collar unbuttoned and flung wide to reveal a long pale neck. He looked very smart indeed, in a disheveled and sexy sort of way. 

Ben glared at him over the top of his own menu, eyes fierce and mouth pursed in disapproval. 

Hux’s snigger caught in his throat, suddenly very much aware of the alpha’s intense stare, watching him like Hux had been watching his mobile the past few days. The tracking had been very informative in the fact that Ben had as much of a social life as Hux did. Which was to say nonexistent. Ben worked very odd hours, sometimes running up to the Order in the middle of the night, or doing random cross city errands. Hux knew where Ben lived though, as well as the fact that Ben had no idea where he lived. The alpha rarely even came within five blocks of his flat and Hux could not figure out if it was on purpose or if Ben was just oblivious. 

Hux ducked his head, gaze lowering. 

“So how long have you been Snoke’s gallant little Knight?” Getting someone to talk about themselves was a diversion tactic that always worked on alphas. 

Ben’s resulting laugh was contagious, filling the large, lavishly decorated room for a few moments. Several people glanced at him, but none in irritation. They looked like they wanted to know exactly what this tall, dark, and sexy man was laughing about. They wanted to be involved. 

“Sir Kylo Ren.” Ben chuckled again to himself, quietly this time like it was a personal joke. Their eyes met across the the table and Hux had to shift in his chair to quell the pressure building within his ribcage. 

_ He could be all yours… _ A dark voice whispered in his ear. 

“About five months, though I’ve known him for years.” Ben lounged backwards in his chair, his menu now forgotten as he focused in on Hux. 

“What what exactly do you do for him?” Hux felt the need to fill the silence. Anything to keep Ben’s attention. 

“Little bit of everything really. Mostly I just shadow him and act bored.” 

“So you’re not security?” Hux frowned. Now that he really thought about it, he had yet to see Snoke lately without the dark alpha in tow, Ben always hovering just out of the spotlight. Hux had thought Ben simply took his job way too seriously, but the only reason the alpha had not been present when Hux met with Snoke in the elderly man’s office was because Hux made sure to slam the door in his face.

“I manage his security…” He was evading, and Hux instantly latched on like a pit bull. 

“And?” It was almost a growl.

Ben sighed heavily. 

“It’s a probationary apprenticeship.” He admitted finally. “Snoke and I have known each other forever and now that he’s getting old he-“

“He’s grooming you to take over First Order Industries.” 

Ben glared at him irritably, but Hux ignored him. 

What the hell? How had something so huge managed to sneak up on him like this? Obviously Snoke was not going to live forever, but Ben being his possible successor? Talk about straight up madness….

“What did I tell you about cutting me off?” Ben snapped, voice low. Compulsion flooded through Hux’s system, easily shorting every fuse in his brain like an overloaded circuit. 

Hux could only gape in open shock. 

How could this witless wonder possess so much raw power? It was so easy for Ben to just slip into his mind and change whatever he pleased, Hux wouldn’t be surprised if even betas and other alphas weren’t safe from Ben’s influence. Influence Ben did not seem to even realize he was using most of the time. 

He needed to look at his watch, needed to snap his brain back and out of the fog that Ben so easily tossed him into. 

“Are you upset because I told you to stop or because I’ll be your boss one day?” Ben asked the question like he truly was unsure what was causing Hux to be so quiet. 

It certainly broke Hux’s stupor though. His hackles rose in defense. In spite of his hunched shoulders and his chin almost touching his chest, Hux growled, his tone clipped and much more calm than he thought was possible at the moment. 

“I am my own boss, I own Finalizer Law.” 

Ben snorted. “You’d be up shit’s creek without the Order, and that’s being kind. We supply, what? At least 37% of Finalizer’s current clientele? You break your contract with the Order and you’re sunk. And wasn’t it Snoke that paid off, like, almost all of your loans?” 

_ How does he know all of this?! _ Hux caught himself reeling. 

Despite his floundering, it was all starting to make sense now. Ben’s entitled attitude, his easily magnetic aura, and the way people listened to him, with Hux becoming the latest victim caught up in the alpha’s hurricane. Even as a child, Ben had probably created waves wherever he went. He was easily high end business alpha material, complete with his six foot plus frame of intimidation and walking sex god status. 

“Oh come on now, don’t get upset, you diva.” 

Hux scowled bitterly. Ben was such a bloody drama queen.

“Diva?” He asked, grimace heavy on his face.  

“Yes, you are a total princess. A high maintenance, high strung princess.” 

“I am not a princess.” Hux’s voice was level, but his cheeks were starting to heat. He couldn’t figure out if he was angry or just uncomfortable.

“Ok, fine, maybe not a princess, if we’re being technical.” Somehow the conversation was quickly derailing, going from angrily informative to very, very out of control and Hux had no idea how to put the pieces back together again. “My sassy little Emperor.” 

Say what now?

There was a long pause, the two of them staring at each other, Ben in assertive daring and Hux in floundering awe. Emperor. Hux was actually fine with it. A sideways glance and a slight shrug, like nothing was out of the ordinary. 

“Well I guess every Knight needs an Emperor to order him around.” He clipped finally, his slacks tight around the groin area. 

“You can order me to bed any time.” Ben said in his deep growly voice, “But once we’re in it, your ass is mine.” 

Thankfully, Hux was saved by the waitress as she set down the brandy he had asked for when they were first seated. Ben ordered dinner for both of them, not bothering to ask Hux what he wanted while the redhead attempted to drown himself in his glass. If the waitress saw the bright red of Hux’s face, she did a great job of pretending not to notice it. 

 

-

 

The rest of the dinner went much smoother. It was surprisingly easy to talk to Ben, once he stopped trying to commandeer everything or make blatant sexual passes. Ben was relentless and Hux could see the way he easily negotiated around the lawyer’s personality quirks with unexpected finesse. 

It seemed like the sole reason the alpha had stumbled in their earlier encounters was because Hux had been refusing him and Ben had no idea how to handle refusal of any sort. 

“This is nice….” Hux mused quietly as he picked at the remains of his entree, his third brandy almost gone. 

“So you’re glad you finally agreed to do this?” Ben asked as he pushed away his own empty plate. Only minutes ago Hux barely managed to convince him not to lick the plate clean. 

Animal. 

“Hardly.” So he felt like being contrary simply for the sport of it. So what?

“Don’t lie to me.” Ben sounded annoyed. He took the bait, but recognized it as the trap that it was. He was getting better every second at reading Hux’s double meanings, sarcastic jibes, and calm half-truths. 

“Who says I am?”

“I might not be good at lying. but I’m pretty good at detecting them.”

“Is that so? I happen to be a fantastic liar.”

Now that was the truth. Lying was one the few things Hux picked up from his beloved stepmother, and Maratelle was undoubtedly a professional when it came to the art of spinning reality itself. While Brendol did not share his wife’s talent, he did nothing to stop her as she emotionally battered her stepson. It had taken Hux years after he came to America to comb through the web she had woven within his head.

“Really?” The look Ben gave him was scathing. It did nothing to dissuade Hux, instead it only made him want to push further. Further and further until Ben ordered him to stop again. 

“I’m a lawyer, Ben. I bet I can both lie and detects lies better than you can.”

“Alright I’m game.” Ben sat back up in his chair, interest sparking.

After taking a moment to mull it over, Hux narrowed his eyes and gave Ben his best sinister grin. He saw Ben hesitate for the barest of moments before instinct won out and soon the alpha was grinning back . 

“You first.” Hux chimed. 

Ben swallowed, took a deep breath and then stared Hux down like a man on a mission. It was kind of hot. 

“I am the oldest of five.”

“Liar.” Hux didn’t even hesitate. 

“Yup, only child.”

“Obviously, you’re insufferable.”

Ben’s eyebrow arched high in warning. “Though I did grow up with a pretty dope cousin.”

“…. _ Dope _ … cousin?” Hux snorted at the terminology. Sometimes he wondered if Ben should just go back to school instead trying to act like an adult. 

“Yeah, my uncle kinda raised me for a while. You're turn.”

“My legal partner is a heinous bitch.” How Phasma immediately ended up in this particular game was a mystery, but Hux went with it, already in too deep to call mercy. 

“Truth, but you love that about her.” Ben crossed his arms in assertive calm. “I served in the military.”

Hux smirked. Obviously the great  _ Lord Ren,  _ or whatever he wanted to call himself, had forgotten he already revealed his military background when trying to hand out pet names like candy. 

“True. Though I can’t believe you could take orders or act in a disciplined manner.”

“I was in the Marine Corps for eight years, so bite me. Semper fi….” The pride that seemed to swell in Ben’s chest doused Hux like ice water. Remembering his own failed attempt at military service, Hux’s poker face fell around the edges, a chink in his armor. 

“I once tried to join the military.” Why was he always saying the wrong things in front of this man, a man who might one day be his client and master. Unfortunately Ben promptly recognized his statement as not part of the game. 

“Oh yeah, why didn’t you?”

Fuck….

“Couldn’t pass medical.” Hux’s answer had been too fast, too nonchalant. They were playing a games of lies after all. He needed a diversion. “I came to America dirt poor.”

Whatever Hux was trying to sell, Ben wasn’t buying. His skepticism was obvious, but in a rare moment of benevolence he let Hux bend the rules.

“True, though I sense there’s a story there.” The tone of his voice mixed with his reserved facial expression told Hux he was onto him about more than just his prior financial status. “You came from some sort of money and …. lost it? Left it behind? Maybe had it taken from you?”

“Never meant to receive it. My older brother was the family heir not me. His mother made sure I would never see a penny.” 

“You said ‘his mother’”

He was giving away everything. What the hell was happening?!

“Your turn.”

Ben paused, carefully gauging Hux’s lightly flushed appearance. His mouth curled in deep satisfaction. 

“I really want to jerk you off right now.”

Hux snorted. “Liar. You'd make me do it and just watch.” 

“You’d love it too.”

_ I’d honestly love nothing more. _

A heavy weight suddenly planted itself firmly between Hux’s legs. He jumped, almost standing in his moment of panic at something touching him, but then he caught the sight of worn leather and a frayed shoelace. 

Ben had stretched out one leg under the table and put his foot right on Hux’s crotch. Hux knew he had long legs, but bloody hell!

He had big feet too, the toe of his shoe nudging along Hux’s dick. 

“Possibly.” Hux gulped. 

_ Come on Hux, where’s your game face at? There’s always a way to win, if you can find it. _

“I’ve only ever topped my bed partners.” Hux said quietly. Using sexual prowess against Ben seemed like a good way to throw the alpha off. 

It worked like a charm. 

“Lie. You like being fucked.” Ben seemed so confident too, smiling seductively while the the foot running along Hux’s upper thigh gave an unyielding shove as if to make a point. It was insistent but not painful. Hux rocked backwards with the advance, not wanting to test how hard Ben would push him. 

The silence between them was deafening and Hux found himself grinning in victory.  

Ben gasped. 

The room was suddenly very stuffy indeed.

“You've never been-“ Aroused shock was a beautiful look on Ben’s long face, forming his mouth into a soft ring of amazement.

“I win.” Hux purred. 

The foot was pressing forward again, becoming uncomfortable, but not only in a painful way. In a very heated way that had Hux breathing via shallow pants. Was he actually winning? It seemed like Ben was the only one getting his way right now.

“Please come home with me.” Ben almost whined. A very needy and unflattering move that brought Hux screaming back to his senses. He tensed up, very aware that Ben was in bodily contact with him and that this was a catastrophe just waiting to blow up in his face. 

Ben misread the reaction, desperate to claim what he wanted.

“Or your place, I don’t care. I won’t hurt you. We don’t even have to have sex, just fool around a little bit.”

Now running off pure survival instinct, a mixture of both fight and flight had Hux grabbing at the first thing he could reach. His steak knife. Wrapping his fingers around it with a vice grip, he brought the tip downwards and hovered right above where Ben’s shoe ended and his pants rode up to expose one ankle. 

“Lies, all of it. Now remove you foot or I will stab it.” Hux was hissing now. His stance was combative, fury and panic making him aggressive. 

“I’m not playing any more. And I don’t appreciate the way you’re acting right now.” Ben shot back. Despite his anger, Ben grudgingly pulled his foot backwards and out of Hux’s lap. Once he was seated comfortably in his chair, he fixed Hux with yet another one of his all-consuming stares. 

“Let me have you. Please.” Compulsion again, the rat bastard. If only Hux could order him to stop using it without actually revealing that it worked on him. He chose instead to snap his brain out of it by using his watch technique. 

“Why do you check your watch when you're really anxious?”

“Habit.” It was much later than he thought. They  _ had _ been having a great time… Now, Hux only wanted to disappear under the fancy white tablecloth. 

“Liar. It’s more than that.”

Hux scoffed loudly. “I don’t want to go home with you, Ben.”

“Another lie.”

Damn, it really was a lie. Go figure. 

“I’m afraid of you.” 

Getting warmer.

“I said I wouldn’t hurt you. Not unless you want me to.” 

“I don’t trust you.” 

There it was. 

The truth. Like an old friend that only came around whenever they wanted to kick you square in the arse. Hux winced weakly and met Ben’s watchful gaze. “I don’t think I’m capable of trusting anyone, nothing personal.” 

Ben only seemed to be getting angrier. 

“Nothing personal. Sure, ok. This has nothing to do with you judging me for being an alpha.”

He was close, but not entirely. Society had just as many preconceived notions about alphas as it did omegas, not that Hux cared. So what if Ben grew up being quietly feared, only to have it intensify as he grew into the hulking behemoth that he was now. No wonder he had joined the Marines, he must have thought it was his only option similar to Hux with that stupid RAF recruiter all those years ago. 

_ Oh this has everything to do with you being an alpha unfortunately. Just not for any of the reasons you think. _

“Was I lying when I said any of that?”

“No, but you just proved that you can fool me.”

The waiter appeared just in the nick of time once again, gathering plates and smiling while she placed the check on the table halfway between the two silent men. Hux was going to tip her like she was the bloody Messiah. Ben reverently grabbed it, glanced at the tally and then pulled out his wallet. When he spoke, he did not look at Hux, just thumbed through his wallet in a pensive way that made Hux curious. 

“Someone who is capable of lying like a champ and has soul-searchingly huge trust and self esteem issues.” Ben’s voice seemed genuine, if a little harsh, “You’re fucked up.”

He tucked his card into the slotted check folder and laid it back down. 

Hux sat there, silent, staring at the last few drops of his brandy. 

“Don’t worry, Tag. I am too…”

 

\- 

 

They were both quiet as they left the restaurant together. 

Hux could tell Ben longed to touch him, maybe wrap an arm around him, but was unsure after their small spat before leaving. Hux almost wanted him to. The thought of being wrapped up in those huge arms was certainly inviting, but ultimately a doomed decision, so he kept his distance. 

_ It’s always going to be like this. _ He thought glumly.  _ Either this maniacal dance where we never touch and drive each other mad or…. the other option…. _

Hux stopped himself from thinking about it. If he let Ben in, there was only one place that path would lead to, a result that Hux swore he would combat against until his last breath. There was nothing in between the two extremes, no middle ground. It was an almost literal battle of life and death for Hux.

This was his proverbial hill to die upon.

The tension grew the closer it got to their eventual parting, as if they were caught in a bizarre limbo. Before they made to call it a night, Hux saw Ben’s resolve growing. 

_ Bollocks, he’s going to go for it.  _

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Ben blurted out loudly, turning to face the redhead and crowding in close. 

“Yes…. ahem, sure…” Hux steeled himself for the inevitable.  

Without fail, Ben leaned in slowly with his mouth opening, brown eyes dancing between Hux’s own eyes and lips. Hux waited a moment, the temptation to just let him  _ do it  _ coiling his stomach into knots. His heart said yes, his head said no, and nature said submit to whatever Ben felt was right. 

His head won. 

A hand gently splayed on Ben’s shoulder, pushing back ever so gently, making him stop. His weight was heavy against Hux’s palm, warm and pressing. 

“Ben… I think tonight has shown that we just don’t go well together.” He was surprised by how quiet and small his voice sounded, how unsure. 

 

“I was actually thinking the exact opposite.” Ben whispered back. “Call it fate, or destiny, whatever, but there is a  _ cosmic force _ out there and it’s telling me to kiss you.” 

“Well it’s telling me to leave now. Goodbye.” 

Hux pulled his hand off Ben’s shoulder, silently praying he did not leave too much of his real self behind. This was it, the final farewell. 

If he couldn’t have Ben completely, which he couldn’t, then Ben would not be in his life at all. 

He was already going over the steps in his head. Change your running route, block Ben’s mobile number, ignore him whenever Snoke is near, maybe even look into ways to cut the Order out of his business module. He had played the grand game for weeks now, and ultimately he had lost. 

He always lost.

Just the nature of the beast. 

“Fuck that.” Ben hissed. 

Fingers laced into Hux’s hair. 

Lips loomed closer than ever before. 

Hux jerked his face upwards by instinct, twisting to the side. That turned out to be the biggest mistake he could make. Lips ghosted his jawline, Ben’s long nose pressing close to his ear, just above his scent gland. 

The alpha suddenly went very still. 

Hux couldn’t breathe. 

The feeling of freefall was making him nauseous as Ben’s hand tightened in his hair. The dull thudding of his heartbeat was pulsing like a live wire in his temples, a dull roar of white noise drowning out everything else. There was no mistaking the way Ben’s free hand clamped securely onto Hux’s hip, the way his nostrils flared as he bumped his nose along the rim of the redhead’s ear. 

“You…. You’re-” Ben shuddered, trying to speak but failing. 

“You’re an omega.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, that ending was rude. Sorry.....
> 
> I have a new tumblr. I don't have any posts or anything, I just kinda use it to see what everyone else is saying like a total creep. Feel free to talk to me anytime at - https://avathys.tumblr.com
> 
> Any kudos, subscriptions and/or comments are like 60 portions for my soul.


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